Why should Americans always defer to the Founding Fathers?

[ParkCungHee]

The vanity and presumption of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies."
-Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791

Since we're quoting Englishmen on American government

"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around."

 

[BuckyRea]

I was wondering that, but I decided to actually address a logical error, not a grammatical one.

Bah. Logic & erudition take too long. Gimme a good ol' cheap shot and that sweet little ping of endorphins that comes from knowing that I'm better than at least one of God's other creatures. That's what life's all about.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

But they are the best guide there is to running a country.

The question wanting to be answered is, What qualities make them the best guide? Just saying "They are the best" is not an actual argumentation. It's a statement begging for one.

 

[GhostWriter16]

The question wanting to be answered is, What qualities make them the best guide? Just saying "They are the best" is not an actual argumentation. It's a statement begging for one.

Well, that's my opinion. But that their constitution is the Law is a fact. But that they themselves are is just an opinion I happen to hold. And by "The best" I mean the best we've had, not necessarily the best we could ever have.

 

[Ajidica]

So the best America has had is a bunch of fairly racist misogynists?

Were scewed.

 

[Traitorfish]

So the best America has had is a bunch of fairly racist misogynists?

Were scewed.

Homophobic racist misogynists. For a bunch of guys in wigs and tights, the Founding Father's weren't all that big on man-love.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Alexander Hamilton is suspected of being gay, or at least bisexual, from letters he wrote. And colonial America had a surfeit of young males.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-kramer/homo-sex-in-colonial-amer_b_205399.html

 

[Cynovolans]

I wouldn't be too sure about that. Alexander Hamilton is suspected of being gay, or at least bisexual, from letters he wrote. And colonial America had a surfeit of young males.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-kramer/homo-sex-in-colonial-amer_b_205399.html

Larry Kramer is an activist not a historian.

 

[Formaldehyde]

He also did not even address the topic of Alexander Hamilton. Would you like to try to discredit Rictor Norton in the same way instead of addressing the issue?

http://rictornorton.co.uk/hamilton.htm

 

[Cynovolans]

He also did not even address the topic of Alexander Hamilton. Would you like to try to discredit Rictor Norton in the same way instead of addressing the issue?

http://rictornorton.co.uk/hamilton.htm

I merely pointing out that Larry Kramer has no degree in history, is an LGBT activist, and he likes to make outrageous claims like George Washington and Lafayette were gay. He also classifies people who lived centuries ago as gay, even though that would be anachronistic.

 

[Traitorfish]

He also classifies people who lived centuries ago as gay, even though that would be anachronistic.

That's dependent on usage. Queer identity is modern, but same-sex attraction is, obviously, not.

 

[Cynovolans]

That's dependent on usage. Queer identity is modern, but same-sex attraction is, obviously, not.

Which is why historians generally use terms like homosexual.

 

[Formaldehyde]

There were also likely effeminate men back then and some of them were probably gay, er homosexual.

 

[Cynovolans]

There were also likely effeminate men back then and some of them were probably gay, er homosexual.

And there may have even been some effeminate men who were straight.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Indeed. Just as now.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find out that many historical figures had gay skeletons in their closets.

http://www.krysalis.net/homosexuality.htm

Schlain states: "From an evolutionary point of view, homosexuality is a supreme paradox." If it had a genetic cause the trait would quickly go extinct. However, throughout history the rate of homosexuality has remained essentially constant, about 3% for males and 1% for females. It appears in all human societies. Thus even though there are those who are attempting to find a genetic cause, it is obvious that it doesn't exist. This historical data is too solid and profound. It will override any genetic investigations, which are based on loose correlations.

I would have thought it would be even much higher than that.

 

[Cynovolans]

Indeed. Just as now.

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find out that many historical figures had gay skeletons in their closets.

http://www.krysalis.net/homosexuality.htm

I would have thought it would be even much higher than that.

What does this have to do with why Americans love to say "This isn't what the Founding Fathers wanted" or something like that?

 

[Traitorfish]

Who knows? Anyway, this:


Link to video.

(NSFWish)

 

[Formaldehyde]

Alll you have to do is to scroll up to find out:

Homophobic racist misogynists. For a bunch of guys in wigs and tights, the Founding Father's weren't all that big on man-love.

 

[Incodcito]

Because the cult of the "Founding Fathers" has been instilled in American children for many years to the extent that the "Founding Fathers" reside as pseudo-deities in the Pantheon of a secular religion.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Mainly because if we thought about what De Valera and Mike Collins wanted, it was mainly to kill Mike Collins and De Valera, respectively.