To: Constitutions Grandchild
OT:
Jefferson was clearly a complex man. It's hard to reconcile some parts of his life with other parts.
For example, Jefferson was thought to be a semi-pacifist yet he launched a naval war against the muslim Barbary states without even bothering to ask Congress. This was in response to repeated terror attacks on and enslavement of Americans conducting commerce in the Mediterranean. The Europeans, especially the powerful English and French, had failed to put a stop to it and maintained their safety by the payment of annual tribute and, in fact, were thought to be inciting the north African muslims against the Americans. The author is drawing parallels between then and now.
People who cite the Declaration of Independence and "endowed by their Creator" often fail to take note of the "Jefferson Bible" in which Jefferson essentially rewrote the gospels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible
(one link of many) to get rid of the divinity of Jesus. And they also fail to cite "The Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom"
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/42.htm
(one link of many). For these reasons, Jefferson, in his time and later, was often labeled as our "First Atheist President" which makes the claims associated with his ownership of the Koran a little thin.
Like I say he's a fascinating guy.
To: Locomotive Breath
You've touched on those things I've been, like you, somewhat aware of. He got under the skin of Guv Morris because apparently there were some comments made about my aunt (whom Guv Morris married to give a home to her and her child born through a rape by her brother-in-law). My great, great aunt was his granddaughter. Apparently, because she was the talk of the 13 states at the time, he got a little touchy over Jefferson's relationship with Sally. Long story short, Guv was a reprobate with a heart of gold who loved and cared for the underdog, penned the Constitution because of his beautiful handwriting and grammar skills, cleaned up the legal issues (as he sat for his exams) and had more than a little time on his hands due to his handicap.
Folks stuck together in those days, and Guv apparently was okay with his grandaughter's marriage to my uncle since he was descended from the folks who gifted Washington with his Masonic apron (we still have it down in Tennessee) and served as one of his aides during the Revolution. Funny how nobody cared for years about this stuff, except some little nerd in a cubby in the library, but we have a very tiny start to this idea of America, and it was no less contentious. People seem to forget many of the things that happened to our nation and the nations of the world. Like they say, they've "moved on".
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