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Sound familiar?

KansasMustang

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Of all tyrannies, a tyranny excersized for the good of it's victims may be the most impressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber barons cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may sometimes be satiated; but those that torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.-- CS Lewis
 

KansasMustang

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I probably put this on the wrong forum, please forgive and move it if necessary, and yes Doug you are correct. But is this not a statement to reflect our time?
 

Doug Huffman

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Of course it is.

I was/am saving steps for those that might hew to "Believe nothing you read or hear without verifying it yourself unless it fits your pre-existing worldview."

I note the different spellings of 'exersized' in your version and "exercised" in the on-line version.

I also think that the Gandhi quotes re 'disarmament' are apropos, disagreeing with some in the gun rights central directorate.

Either we are equal or we are not. Good people ought to be armed where they will, with wits and guns and the truth. NRA KMA$$
 

KansasMustang

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Tis because for some reason which I cannot figure why I cannot simply copy and paste anything on this forum so i must type it by hand. :cuss: I need a new computer LOL
 

Doug Huffman

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Apropos, with some context...

Mather Byles, ""Which is better - to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mather_Byles

Mather Byles (b. 26 March 1706, Boston, Massachusetts – 5 July 1788), was a British North America clergyman,

He was descended, on his mother's side, from John Cotton and Richard Mather. He graduated at Harvard University in 1725, and in 1733 became pastor of the Hollis Street Church (Congregational), Boston. He held a high rank among the clergy of the province and was noted for his scholarly sermons and his ready wit.

At the outbreak of the War of Independence he was outspoken in his advocacy of the royal cause, and after the British evacuation of Boston his connection with his church was dissolved.

He remained in Boston, however, and subsequently (1777) was arrested, tried and sentenced to deportation. This sentence was later changed to imprisonment in his own house. He was soon released, but never resumed his pastorate.

He is known for saying "Which is better - to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?". A variation of the quote is said by Mel Gibson in the The Patriot

He died in Boston on 5 July 1788, aged 82.

Besides many sermons he published A Poem on the Death of George I (1727) and Miscellaneous Poems (1744).
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Mather_Byles

http://www.rayraphael.com/PH_Teachers_Guide_ch4.pdf
Historical Reasoning/ Discussion:

1. George Washington asked rhetorically: “Why should persons who are preying upon the vitals of their Country be suffered to stalk at large, while we know they will do us every mischief in their power?” Treat this as a real question and try to respond to it.

2. (a) Compare and contrast the “lynchings” in Bedford County during the Revolutionary War to latter-day lynchings. (b) Do you think the use of Lynch’s name to describe later events can be attributed to supporters or opponents of lynchings? (c) On the basis of your response to (b), try to explain why his name came to be used as it did. (You might want to consult the sources noted in footnote #82.)

3. A key rhetorical tool lies in the framing of a question. Consider: “[W]hich is better — to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?”[my emphasis DH] (a) Treat this question seriously and try to respond to it. (b) Compare this question to the one asked by George Washington in question #1. How does the posing of each question make it difficult to argue against the position held by the speaker? (c) Analyze the passage from the Pennsylvania Packet in terms of rhetorical questioning.

4. People who “bend with the wind,” like David Bruce or William Greene, are often cast in a disparaging light. Try to give a sympathetic explanation for the actions of the three thousand people from New Jersey who signed contradictory loyalty oaths. Make specific references to the pressures they faced from both sides during the American Revolution.
 

Doug Huffman

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I was trying to draw the parallel, unmistakable, between "omnipotent moral busybodies" and our thousands of tyrant neighbors that 'Benjamin Martin', The Patriot mentions in paraphrasing Mather Byles.

This is the essential tension (that a correspondent here on OCDO denies) between freedom and community writ large across the face of RKABA activism.
 
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