My dear,

A society that will trade a little liberty for a little order will lose both, and deserve neither.

A society in which the politicians band together to diminish everyone’s freedom in order to keep the angry mobs quiet and happy for a while is a society headed towards ruin.

Parenting teaches us this easily. Good parents know that kids shouldn’t get everything they ask for just because they scream and shout. Seems like that’s what we need, more good parents in charge of the country.

And the thing about good parents is they know when their children are just squawking for attention, and when they really need something. They know when the chaos is a sign of their own failure to provide, and when it’s not; and if it’s the former, they know how to change for the better (without losing their liberty and respect as parents).

… As I said, we need more good parents in charge of our politics.

Falsely yours,
Thomas Jefferson