John Adams and His Margin Writer

Nobody’s Opinion;

Sometimes, after turning on the morning news, I get a “here we go again” anxious feeling, and then I go into fighting mode, which usually begins with an Oreo cookies rush, followed by a few ballet kicks, to counter my cookie binge.

To get over this attack of nerves, I usually go back in history and read the writings of great men. It always calms me.

So I pulled out one of my favorite essays written by John Adams in 1765—called, “A Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law.” It was published in the Boston Gazette in August of that year, amidst the vociferous outcry from the Americans about the Stamp Act.

Now---John Adams and his son, John Quincy, had an interesting habit. Sometimes they marked up the books they read, usually in the margins, with thoughts and opinions about some particular argument or other that the author was making.

Most of the time, these opinions were just words like---”bull.” Which is one of the reasons I suppose John Adams did not warrant a monument in Washington.

I too have this proclivity, so I’ve decided to quote some wisdom from John and add my own “opinions” to his writings in the margins…after all, I can’t help myself.

John Adam's Margin Writer is me, and the author's message is still relevant in 2007.

John Adams: “The poor people, it is true, have been much less successful than the great. They have seldom found either leisure or opportunity to form a union and exert their strength: ignorant as they were of arts and letters, they have seldom been able to frame and support a regular opposition.”

Margin writer: You got that right, John. Things haven’t changed much. Today, so many people are living paycheck to paycheck. They are worried about paying their taxes on time, worried about getting money for emergencies…worried about losing their jobs. Both parents have to work, and finding time to organize a national movement to fight the entrenched bipartisan plutocracy that we have now, is just about as likely to happen as Ann Coulter dating Michael Jackson. They keep us divided into race, gender, and political issues. Some of us won’t even talk to our neighbors.

They keep news of Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton on television to keep our thoughts off our plight.

They keep reporting that America is fine. Our economy is great! They rule our opinions with “polls.” They basically tell us how to think. It’s become a fine art.

John Adams: “This, however, has been known by the great to be the temper of mankind; and they have accordingly labored, in all ages, to wrest from the populace, as they are contemptuously called, the knowledge of their rights and wrongs, and the power to assert the former or redress the latter.”

Margin Writer: Once again John, you know your history. Our government is laboring really hard keeping the knowledge of our rights from us. “Rights” are never taught in our schools…the only right we seem to have it the “right to remain silent.”

America merging with Mexico is presented as a “Free Trade” affair. The citizens against this merger are called “racists” by our “greats." The screams and protests will continue to be ignored…

We keep hearing lies that our benevolent “public servants,” are nothing like the rulers of “old.” They care about the children, the sick, and the illegal immigrants.

Bull! Not always.

History is being rewritten in all our schools that only the state knows what is best for the children. Our schools have taken all parental rights from our citizens, and now the government continues their power by trying to get the kids even younger than five, where they know their message of “state control” is implemented in all synapses forever.

They say it will help them “be smarter.” Right...

John Adam: “The most refined, sublime, extensive, and astonishing constitution of policy that ever was conceived by the mind of man was framed by the Romish clergy for the aggrandizement of their own order. They were persuaded mankind to believe, faithfully and undoubtedly that God Almighty had entrusted them with the keys of heaven, whose gates they might open and close at pleasure.”

Margin Writer: Well, aggrandizement of “orders” is an entrenched pastime with not only the Church, but also the unions heads, and Congress. It’s who you know.

Christopher Hitchens, a current poltical writer John, would have loved this statement, and would go further to say to there is no God. But this is NOT what you meant by this, because you, John Adams, believed in God.

This is one of the issues that divides the nation right now, John. The “power” of the church throughout the ages, has put many a mortal into fear and timidity as the tyrannical ruler. It was the reformation that said that it was the individual man who could know God himself. No man had the power to claim “superiority” because of his religion.

Of course, that’s exactly what the Muslims contend---and you would not have put up with their claims.

Now our politicians bring out thier religions in the name of Jesus, to steal money from the American people, to be used as they see fit. They practically run to the cross during elections.

John Adams: “None of the means of information are more sacred or have been cherished with more tenderness and care by the settlers of America, then the press. The Jaws of power are always opened to devour and her arm is always stretched out if possible to destroy the freedom of thinking speaking and writing.”
Margin Writer: Good thing you had your cousin Sam.

Right now John, the main “press” is owned by a handful of the 'few’ leaving the average citizen out of the loop. The powers that be…especially Hillary Clinton our intended to be new Monarch, wants to get hold of our 21st version of the people’s free press called the internet---a place where individuals can express their opinions and point out the avarice and ambitions of our leaders.

The internet (your Boston Gazette) and its writers are attacked daily by even conservative talk show hosts who should know better.

Soon they will tax it, like the Stamp Act. But until then, the “great’ have been wise. They are controlling its ‘search engines' so that the voices of reason are not read much.

John Adams: "The true source of our sufferings has been our timidity. We have been afraid to think. We have felt reluctance to examining into the grounds of our privileges, and the extent in which we have an indisputable right to demand them, against all power and authority on earth. Many have contracted habits of reserve, and a cautious diffidence of asserting their opinions publicity. We all know that human nature itself, from indolence, modesty, humanity, or fear, has always too much reluctance to a manly assertion of its rights. Hence, perhaps, it has happened that nine tenths of the species are groaning and gasping in misery and servitude. But what ever the cause, the fact is certain, we have been excessively cautious of giving offence by complain of grievances.”

“And it is as certain, that American governors and their friends, and all the crowed officers have availed themselves of this disposition in the people. They have prevailed on us to consent too many things which were grossly injurious to us, and to surrender many others, with voluntary tameness to which we had the clearest right."

Margin writer: Sadly John, this human nature trait is still true.

We are scared to stand up to our teachers, who fill our children with nonsense for fear they will fail them. We are afraid to stand up to unfair property taxes, wage earning taxes, for fear of jail. We fear to stand up to the Mexicans because our leaders will call us racists. We fear to stand up to a neighbor because they belong to a different polticial party and we might lose their friendship.

Do we, the American people have a right to say…we refuse to put up with a bilingual nation? We refuse to be forced to drive smaller car, eat tofu---forced to pay for other child’s educations and food in other lands when it’s the other country's responsibilities to take care of their own?

And for God’s sake---get Brittany off our TVs.

And most of all, can we go up against this great Globalization which is causing the very destruction of the very country that John Adams and our fellow founders fought so hard to start?

John Adams "I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonders, as the opine of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant, and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.”

Margin writer: Our current president, George W. Bush has told us he is now trying to emancipate the whole world, a noble cause to be sure, but at what price?

The price of this emancipation is the very country which gave him office, only a few very rich CEO's and politicians will survive.

John Adams: “The spirit of liberty is as ardent as ever among the body of the nation, though a few individuals may be corrupted. There is the same spirte which denounced hostilities against John till Magna Charter was signed, which severing the head of Charles from its body.

"Let us dare to read, to think, speak and write.”

Margin Writer: John, good news…the spirit of liberty that you helped enflame...is still here.

We just need to get some….ba---s…I mean bull…

Oh heck John, I’m too timid to say it. We just need to show some good old American Guts and take save this wonderful book called America...

And if we have to write in the margins to do it...so be it.