thomas paine

"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflections." — Thomas Paine

My favorite founding fathers are Thomas Paine & Thomas Jefferson.

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine

If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. Thomas Paine

Just one of the many great quotes from Thomas Paine in his book, "Common Sense". This is a sad truth that speaks volumes for the departure of our society today from its noble beginnings.

You might be tempted to think that the brutal domestic conflict seen in other countries can't happen here. That's nonsense. Americans are not super-humans; we possess the same frailties of other people. If there were a catastrophic economic calamity, I can imagine a political hustler exploiting those frailties, as have other tyrants, blaming it on the Jews, the blacks, the conservatives, the liberals, the Catholics or free trade.

The best thing the president and Congress can do to reduce the potential for conflict and violence is reduce the impact of government on our lives. Doing so will not only produce a less-divided country and greater economic efficiency, but bear greater faith and allegiance to the vision of America held by our founders – a country of limited government. Our founders, in the words of Thomas Paine, recognized that, "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."