Thomas Jefferson

albionjessica · #1 03/29/06, 08:57 PM

Just watching a show called -------- by Penn & Teller about profanity, and how the government allows the FCC to take away one of our most basic rights (that of free speech) because of decency codes passed for broadcasts. Found this quote interesting:

"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have. The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." -Thomas Jefferson

Has anyone else watched their shows? They are very good at digging around and sniffing out liars, cheats, fakes, and scams. If you recycle... they did a good show on recycling that you should watch. Other topics include things like AA, endangered species, gun control, circumcision, alternative medicine, traditional families, the best, PETA, hypnosis... etc. I'd be happy to send anyone a copy of one of their shows for free if y'all can't find it at a local Blockbuster or other movie store. It's good stuff to think on.

Unregistered · #2 03/29/06, 09:17 PM

Some people think Jefferson was really not one to talk of decency. During his years in the white house he ran up a personal wine bill of $10,835. He also fathered children of one of his teen-age slaves.
Another saying of his, " A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."

albionjessica · #3 03/29/06, 09:34 PM

I didn't say that he was the one talking of decency. That's the FCC and their small minds. The quote in bold was by Jefferson.

Sounds like he had a good appetite for wine. Good for him. At least I hope that meant that he enjoyed his life to the fullest.

I love his quotes. Was it him that said: Fish and visitors smell in three days. (?)

albionjessica · #4 03/29/06, 09:37 PM

Ack. Darn filters took out the name of the show. Ok, to please all of the ignoramus' on here... the name of Penn & Teller's show is Bulls-it. Fill in the blank with your letter of choice.

Jethro · #5 03/29/06, 10:50 PM

I really think that if you are on TV to show how something is or works, you should do good research on the history you use. Thomas Jefferson's quote should have been his conscience speaking. During his second term he had Draconian laws past that taxed the small business owner to death and came within a nats hair of bankrupting the county. Jefferson, thru out his political life was a huge hypocrite.

Boleyz · #6 03/29/06, 11:04 PM

How about if "Freedom of expression" means I get to let my dog poop in your yard everyday. Would ya be for that? I mean, I think it would be "Artistic Expression" to see a mound of poo in your yard. Will ya go along with my "Free Expression"? NO? What are ya, some kind of bigoted, small-minded censor?

Ya know what? Come into my home and curse in front of my wife and kids, and you'll get tossed out. I guess "censorship" is for all of us, hey?

You don't want dog poop in your yard and I don't want garbage in front of my kids.

By the Way, if ya give me that tired old, "change the channel" argument, I'll say, "put up a fence and a locked gate if ya don't want my dog's poo on your shoe".

GO FCC! FCC ROCKS WHEN THEY CENSOR!!

legacy · #7 03/30/06, 12:25 AM

And besides, by the time you decide you need to change the channel, at least part of the offensive material has already been presented. I'm no prude, and I'm for first amendment rights, but I've been stunned at the things I see and hear on television (radio is another topic, I guess) that children are exposed to at all hours of the day.

For example, one day I just happened to walk though the den and glance at what my 11-year-old daughter was watching on TV. It was 1:30 p.m. on a Saturday, and there on the screen, to my astonishment, was a teenaged boy rubbing a teenaged girl on her you-know-what as they were riding a roller coaster, and she was...let's see how I can put this...having a you-know-what as they went over the top. It was very graphic, and without going into further detail, I'll just say this scene involved a close-up shot of what I just described. And get this: It was the USA channel, not a premium movie channel. And by the time the shock passed and I realized I was really seeing what I was seeing, and was able to grab the remote and change the channel, prolly no more than 30 seconds had passed. So, changing the channel...pfffft.

I dropped cable that very day, and I told them why. And oh yes, they'd received similar complaints about that very movie.

And here's what's great: I don't miss cable very much at all and I save $40 a month. The antennas I bought for my TV's cost $9.50 at Circuit City. I get six channels including Fox and the three networks. Those 4 channels are crystal clear. I'll never go back to cable.

Even the networks occasionally have offensive stuff but not like what I described above and there's far less of it.

chas · #8 03/30/06, 05:11 AM

It,s a small mind that can't think of anyones rights but their own!!!!!!Usually laws are passed for the good of the majority,so as long as we are in the majority it's going our way

We have a right not to hear smutty talk poluting the airwaves and around us.What happened to descency anyhow?If smutty talk is so nessesary then maybe your own channel is needed.Our little ones and I don't need that kind of language to communicate thank-you.
Oh and the quote someone asked about was from Ben Franklin (fish and visitors.....)
Chas

jnap31 · #9 03/30/06, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chas

It,s a small mind that can't think of anyones rights but their own!!!!!!Usually laws are passed for the good of the majority,so as long as we are in the majority it's going our way

We have a right not to hear smutty talk poluting the airwaves and around us.What happened to descency anyhow?If smutty talk is so nessesary then maybe your own channel is needed.Our little ones and I don't need that kind of language to communicate thank-you.
Oh and the quote someone asked about was from Ben Franklin (fish and visitors.....)
Chas

Why not just get rid of the TV like I did?

Boleyz · #10 03/30/06, 05:34 AM

Hey!
I thought I'd share this with ya. I've got one and used it for years and it's the finest thing ever for TV.

It's a foul-language filter. Even if you set your V-chip parental controls, there is still a lot of filthy language. Even the old Archie Bunker reruns had some curse words. This box will filter every word. Here's how it works:

Every movie, DVD, Video and television show has closed-captioning. The reason you don't see it is because you don't have your equipment set up to see it...but it's there. What this filter does is continually "Read" the closed captioning text as it's coming through your cable. When it "Sees" a word or phrase that is offensive, it immediately mutes the sound on your TV and puts up a text substitute word or phrase which you will not hear, but will read on the screen so that you can still get the general idea, without poisoning the atmosphere of your home. It used to be you could only buy the filter, and connect it, but now they sell dvd players and even tv's that have it already installed.

I better mention that it cannot filter live-events on TV, such as news or sports, but those usually aren't foul anyway. They don't have CC

Used to be lots of them for sale on Ebay too. Target, wal-mart and other chains carry them as well.

Check out this link for complete info. Take action in your hands to save your kids from the barrage of foul-language on TV and movies. This thing will also filter any movies you bring home to watch.

www.tvguardian.com

copperhead51 · #11 03/30/06, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Some people think Jefferson was really not one to talk of decency. During his years in the white house he ran up a personal wine bill of $10,835. He also fathered children of one of his teen-age slaves.
Another saying of his, " A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."

That's total garbage. He is one of something like 24 that could have fathered the mulatto. You people really should check out your stories out before parroting them.

Thatch · #12 03/30/06, 09:10 AM

but revisionism is so much more fun.

shelljo · #13 03/30/06, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by copperhead51

That's total garbage. He is one of something like 24 that could have fathered the mulatto. You people really should check out your stories out before parroting them.

Actually, it's pretty much accepted that Sally Hemings chidren were Jeffersons. Sally herself was Jefferson's wife's 1/2 sister. Genetic testing on the Hemings descendants and Jefferson's nephews carry the same markers. Granted, since TJ himself never had children, it won't be proven 100%.

And, does it really matter? So what if he had children with his slave. It wasn't that uncommon in his social class--and at that time.

Elizabeth M · #14 03/30/06, 12:43 PM

"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have. The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." -Thomas Jefferson

Are you SURE this is really a Jefferson quote? I've read pretty much about that period and they just didn't phrase sentences that way. It sounds much too modern; especially the "take everything you have" phrase.

Eliz

papaw · #15 03/30/06, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jethro

Jefferson, thru out his political life was a huge hypocrite.

This is maybe the most stupid statement that I've ever read on HT ....
carry on ...

lyteora · #16 03/30/06, 01:30 PM

According the the monticello website (monticello.org) Jefferson fathered 6 children with his wife but only 2 survived after she passed away he never remarried. All of the slaves he freed were from Sally Hemmings family. He probably fathered all six of her children according to DNA. He did many great things for Our Country but he was far from perfect.

Elizabeth M · #17 03/30/06, 01:38 PM

Even though he did so much good for our country, I've read alot of bad things about both Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin (don't get me started on HIM!).

The persons of that era who seem to have been the most impressive to me were George Washington and John Adams.

Eliz

Unregistered · #18 03/30/06, 05:41 PM

Not only did Jefferson have a thing for the teenage slaves he also had a thing for his friends wifes both here and in France. Might have something to do with all that wine. Also had some experience with the hemp machine.

copperhead51 · #19 03/30/06, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shelljo

Actually, it's pretty much accepted that Sally Hemings chidren were Jeffersons. Sally herself was Jefferson's wife's 1/2 sister. Genetic testing on the Hemings descendants and Jefferson's nephews carry the same markers. Granted, since TJ himself never had children, it won't be proven 100%.

And, does it really matter? So what if he had children with his slave. It wasn't that uncommon in his social class--and at that time.

Perhaps accepted by the uninformed. I suspect it was uncommon as there was a major investigation in HIS day by political enemies.

copperhead51 · #20 03/30/06, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Not only did Jefferson have a thing for the teenage slaves he also had a thing for his friends wifes both here and in France. Might have something to do with all that wine. Also had some experience with the hemp machine.

You're a riot! Maybe you could get your own cable show?