Hello Bright Star..... As Thomas Jefferson noted , " The price of liberty is eternal vigilance". I think he would very much approve of your questioning . There is a tendnecy to grow complacent...that can be dangerous and create space for abuse in high places. The forefathers had a great vision...and they were thinking of us when they laid the foundations for the country we now have. America is a work in progress and compromises had to be made in her creation. Such is the way of democracy . I descend from both the oppressed and the oppressors ....one could even say that women have been the designated oppressed group throughout history. Our job is to learn...to advance the cause of liberty and the development of the human spirit....and to be vigilant. I was taught by a great man (my father) that all who had gone before me had built and sacriced...that some had sacrificed their lives for me. And to make sure their sacrifices had not been in vain. Our forefathers put it all on the line for us. Those who had much, also had much to lose...their lives , their liberty and their sacred honor were not empty phrases. They would not have died pleasant deaths if their cause had not been won....and their families would have been utterly ruined. One need only look at the centuries of English history (which they were all too familiar with) to understand what would have occurred. I take that very personally...always have. But.... I also look very critically at big government. The Government (writ large) is not America...we are. malinda REDSKI9136@aol.com wrote: > Hello List, > > I don't want anyone to think I am against our ancesters. I just > want to know the how and whys of their lifes, and anything to do with how > they lived.I come from 9 generations of Chester Co. dairy farmers. I know > they had a hard life. Somtimes I think our farmers, of all types are very > much over looked. I support them completely. > I suppose if I had been taught about Native Americans and African Americans, > I may not have this deep desire, to know how are lifes, reflected each other. > When I found that I had a Lenape grandmother, I was even more curious about > her life.I wondered such things as, was she loved by my grandfather. Was she > a gift from some connection between her people the Lenapes, and this English > man. All kinds of things I wanted to know. I know most of you have probably > been doing geneology for many years. But only in the last couple of years has > it been so easy to find records. > Not only that but, we now have the best oppurtuity in our lives to see what > Educators are teaching, and putting out there for all to see. Gone are the > days of only visiting our archive offices and having to buy a book ( if you > could find it) on history.Now we have history and records at the press of a > few buttons. We also have links to our Goverment, we never had before. They > have some of the best info out there. We get to see the old laws and copies > of treaties, and records we may never have had an oppurtnity to look at. I am > sorry if I was a bit hard on a past President, who was a slave holder. And > also on my remark, reguarding the Constitution. But the truth of the matter > is, these things are being taught in our Universitys today. My son is in the > third year of colledge, and he said, that it was White, land owning , men, > that were equal, when that statment about ALL MEN ARE EQUAL, in our > Constitution, was written. Well I guess that ticked me off a bit. How many > other non-land owning men, were brakeing their backs to build this land. My > grandfather, maybe yours? I know I cannot change history, but I feel if I > don't speak out, then I in my existance would only be a part of it and a > lie.To many men, have died and suffered to build what we have today. > > Mary Jane, Bright Star > > ==== PACHESTE Mailing List ==== > Check out other counties in PA! > http://libertynet.org/~gencap/pacounties.html