A Debate among our Founding Fathers

Only Americans have the humility to call the United States an Imperfect Union. Only Americans have the audacity to promise themselves a More Perfect Union. We don't even care if "More Perfect" makes grammatical sense. But then we are Americans. Grammatical sense be damned.

Grammatical sense be damned? Not so fast.

Actually, our founding fathers had quite a debate over grammar. Some of them argued for "inalienable rights" in the early versions of our Declaration of Independence. They conceded to the majority who voted for "unalienable rights" in its final version. Interestingly, our modern dictionaries prefer "inalienable" as a proper adjective. 

Inalienable or unalienable rights, however, have long been declared enough but not exercised enough. Accordingly, our American history shows a gnawing gap between rights declared and rights exercised. More importantly, this gnawing gap is narrowing. If that's not progress, I don't know what is.

Happy Father's Day!


Author: renqiulan


Google Image

 

所有跟帖： 

• 美国的国父们伟大就在于他们从旧阵营出来，看清弊病，全新建设。我曾在弗州两年，去了所有前期总统的故居接受再教育！有博文 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 08:43:21

• 要看看花姐博文！李白《蜀道难》：“开国何茫然”。蚕丛是蜀国首位称王的人。美国开国不茫然，因为沒有人称王，沒有人敢于称王。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 08:59:18

• 我希望你看，并给我指正。我一连写了4篇，最早2000年是为国内而写。都被封了。后转过来的。链接在里面 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (248 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:03:45

• I think I'll learn a lot from your posts. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:06:27

• 不会呀，我只是粗略知道一二，也许还有谬误呢。所以小R一定要不吝赐教 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:33:43

• 花姐太客气了。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:49:38

• 花姐写得真好！ -nearby- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:14:03

• +100 -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:13:57

• I like more your input. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:12:34

• I always believe that General Washington is the greatest -nearby- ♂ (90 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:03:15

• At least, Washington was one of the greatest US presidents. -寒苇- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:04:58

• Fair and balanced. Thank you, Wei Wei! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:21:21

• +100 -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:17:43

• Thank you, nearby, for your comment! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:17:32

• We are missing you, nearby! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:26:49

• True. -寒苇- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:03:51

• Thank you for quoting Li Bai! -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:11:22

• +100 -nearby- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:02:16

• It's worth reading. Thank you! -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:09:54

• 谢谢秋兰。It's very meaningful to talk about founding fathers in -唐宋韵- ♂ (350 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:16:46

• 谢谢唐宋君！个人认为沒有相宜的中译。希望大家指教一下。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:52:50

• 是我没有说清楚：“人人生而平等，享有造物主赋予给他们的不可剥夺的权利，包括。。。”是中文的对美国《独立宣言》的 -唐宋韵- ♂ (321 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:41:00

• That's more like it. Thank you! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:11:15

• 谢谢秋兰。 -唐宋韵- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:20:52

• I also like this interpretation of the Declaration. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:16:49

• I like this exchange of ideas. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:15:08

• 这是个值得深思的问题。秋兰节日快乐！ -66的山梁- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:27:57

• 谢谢六六姐！美国真是个多元化的社会。不少美国人并不承认华盛顿等是美国国父们的。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:56:53

• Right on. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:18:29

• 谢谢，秋兰的豪气文章。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:34:49

• 我就住在维吉尼亚多年，华盛顿的家去过n次，有趣的是在各处扮农夫，劳工的小伙子，都是大学历史系的学生。老公最爱跟他们谈史 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:38:13

• 我最爱去的是Thomas Jefferson的家，他的烹饪书，还在研究“花生汤”的作法。。。。。。。。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:40:02

• Thomas Jefferson是个多才才子，他的家趣味多多，连离他家不远处的女奴房，他在那儿的小妾生活，也栩栩如生。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:43:26

• 整个 Monticello 是他自己设计的。 -唐宋韵- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:48:37

• 最喜欢那时的玻离窗，好像刻有雨痕，看外面特别漂亮。Monticello 里面每处都是设计学问。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:52:48

• 维州大学也是Thomas Jefferson设计的。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 09:53:47

• 对。包括杰佛遜在內，美国国父们都是启蒙运动的实行家，对科学文史工艺都认真学习和发扬的。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:20:44

• 个人作野史看待。The history of mulattoes gives credit to the theory. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:26:53

• Mulattoes! They suffered a lot in the past. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:21:47

• This is quite an intriguing story. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:20:18

• 有沒有看看其庄外的黑奴小墓地呢？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:17:01

• 有啊！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:21:18

• History doesn't lie, but people may lie about history. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:23:57

• 我们住在弗吉尼亚时，我一是看总统故居，二是参观南北战争所有的遗迹，写了8篇呢，全面接受美国爱国主义教育哈哈 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 11:53:58

• 花花，搬家多次啊！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:25:13

• 美国就住过弗州。。。。 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:22:32

• 赞花的爱国之心。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:26:00

• Virginia 历史文物之丰盛，足以媲美新英格兰。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:29:59

• 是的，方圆之内都是美国历史大事的发生地 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:48:32

• You must've taken a lot of notes.Keep them as your treasure. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:13:51

• I bet your posts are quite interesting. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:27:28

• 历史短的美国，其国民偏爱谈历史，大概因为意识到历史的重要性吧。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:15:19

• 谢谢猫姐！拙文短叙了这一段独立史插曲。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 13:11:37

• Their grammar debate shows that they're serious men. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:29:07

• washington $1, Jefferson $2, Hamilton $10, Ben F $100, 何时Jeff 与B -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 11:08:00

• Ben Franklin 钞票同值？ -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 11:09:00

• 1913年的两块钱值100块，哈哈，不用找，周末愉快。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 12:28:00

• 那时是美金，1970代就成了美元。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:07:40

• 石油危机cpi 超12%，但两块钱纸币因发行少而值钱。 -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 18:23:00

• Thank you, AP! Do you have faith in $US? I do. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:25:17

• 欧/日元都弱了，RMB过去50年年升两分，未来或年升一分钱，so agreed. -AP33912- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 18:21:00

• Check out these 2 "National Treasure" movies. Interesting. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:05:52

• Money talks. Hahahaha...! -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:30:11

• I am jealous when you say 'our Founding Father' -老键- ♂ (364 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 11:30:59

• Unlike Napoleon,Washington picked citizenship over kingship. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:17:25

• True. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:30:42

• The sons of heaven might be prisoners of their egos. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 14:20:31

• A gnawing gap: "rights declared and rights exercised." -寒苇- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:07:37

• The above quote is a fair comment on the US history. -寒苇- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:09:07

• Yes, it is. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:31:25

• Thank you for quoting me! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:22:14

• 广告一下：去读花姐关于华盛顿将军故居的文章，可以看到花姐的美人儿照片哈 -nearby- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:16:33

• I'm in a "gold rush"! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 15:19:46

• 啊？我记得照片都删了呀！邻邻钻我空子 -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 16:56:26

• wish they would rise and lead us now -颤音- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/18/2023 postreply 17:19:28

• They're gone but still inspiring. -shuier- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/19/2023 postreply 10:32:51