A NEW ERA OF CHANGE: CHANGING TRUTH

[My apologies for having misspelled Steve Carell's name in the first edition of this post. I cannot tell you how much I hate that.]

In the very first minutes of "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial," held this past Sunday, comedic actor Steve Carell (from "The Office") said the following, and I quote him in full:

"Throughout our history, the question of change versus the status quo has been part of our national conversation. These words of Thomas Jefferson are inscribed on his memorial:

'I am not an advocate for frequent changes. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind as new truths are discovered and manners and opinions change.'"

Why was this essentially the first thing said during that pop-culture celebration of Barack Obama? I think it's perfectly obvious: Barack Obama is about change, about changing times and adapting to new truths.

But here is what is written on Panel Four at the Jefferson Memorial:

"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

Note the differences between Carell's words and those found at the memorial. But wait. Now note the differences between what is attributed to Jefferson and what he ACTUALLY wrote:

"I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the same coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

-- to Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1810 [my emphasis in blue]

Do you think many on the left today would at all tolerate Mr. Jefferson's relaxed attitude toward "moderate imperfections"? And do you think there is any epistemological and even ontological difference in a new truth being discovered, as the revisionists have written, and a new truth that has been disclosed, as Mr. Jefferson has written?

I have found it only requires a moment's reflection to discover the new truth that some truth is best revised in order to create, in a delightfully false sort of way, a perfectly convenient truth.


Peace through dissent.

BG

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