Finding the Founders

SHANNON LANIER, the great great great great great great grandson of Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson's slave-lover sally Hemmings, identifies as black, although hw is lightly pigmented, and believes that the Jefferson Memorial, which was built in the nineteen thirties, should be modified. He suggests surrounding the statue of Jefferson with statues of people who really fought for freedom and racial equality, to augment Jefferson, who merely talked about it, but never did much to back up his words. Jefferson wrote the declaration of Independence, but Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense", which sold half a million copies in January, 1776 alone. and motivated teh colonists to actually seek independency, s they said in those days, through whatever means necessary. Perhaps Paine should stand next to Jefferson. Benjamin Franklin physically intimidated the reluctant Jefferson into writing the document. Perhaps he should stand behind Jefferson, looming over him and looking down upon him, menacingly. We Americans have a habit,, although we claim to be peaceful and democratic, of venerating military and political leaders who wielded great power, , and who often used it in questionable ways. Those over whom they exercised their power, those who were victimized and harmed by the often ruthless and arbitrary exercise of coercive power, are usually forgotten by history. Also often forgotten are the poets, artists, and historians to whom we are indebted due to their willingness and ability to tell the truth about the powerful. What about the farmers, the indentured servants, and the slaves who actually built America, despite suffering oppression and exploitation from the rich and powerful? It may well be that the most appropriate monuments have never been built, and never will be. The best solution might be for humanity to restrain its vanity, and to stop building monuments to itself. they occupy land which nature could put to much better use.