'Nuff Said.
James Madison, revered as one of the architects of the Constitution and the USA's fourth president, might in today's bumper-sticker politics be labeled a flip-flopper. But the country owes him a great debt because he wasn't afraid to change his mind.
Madison, whose 256th birthday is today, was against the Bill of Rights before he was for it. Freedoms that are taken for granted today - of speech, religion and the press - and other invaluable protections against tyranny are in the Constitution because Madison reversed his view that a Bill of Rights wasn't needed.
*snip*
Despite later government attempts to stifle unpopular views, invade citizens' privacy and railroad criminal suspects, the freedoms of generations since have been protected by Madison's prescience. His birthday is a reminder that those who have power will always be tempted to abuse it and that they can be restrained only if they are kept under watchful eyes.
click here for full article
Madison, whose 256th birthday is today, was against the Bill of Rights before he was for it. Freedoms that are taken for granted today - of speech, religion and the press - and other invaluable protections against tyranny are in the Constitution because Madison reversed his view that a Bill of Rights wasn't needed.
*snip*
Despite later government attempts to stifle unpopular views, invade citizens' privacy and railroad criminal suspects, the freedoms of generations since have been protected by Madison's prescience. His birthday is a reminder that those who have power will always be tempted to abuse it and that they can be restrained only if they are kept under watchful eyes.
click here for full article
posted by purvis at 5:41 PM
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