Birthday Time Again

Greetings again... hope someone is out there!


Well, it's time again for the annual birthday wish for our Second President, John Adams.  Yes, this is his day.  He's definitely a Founding Father we should all keep in memory.  And let's also not forget one of our Founding Mothers, his wife Abigail.  She was quite a lady and together they really made a team.

This year in celebration, here are two offerings.   A portrait collage of Mr. President and a very thoughtful quote.

So I hope somewhere in the cosmos, John Adams, you get this birthday wish.  Happy Birthday and keep praying for us on the other side!

Happy Birthday, John Adams - though a bit late...

Time for our annual birthday greeting to John Adams - yes, our second president (not the composer).  So Happy Birthday, Mr. President - dare we count (number 279!)?  Hope somehow you're celebrating - and of course looking in on us, praying for us, and sending "down" some wisdom; we really could use some!

In celebration, here are some mini-thoughts about our birthday boy - one for each letter of the alphabet:

antislavery though not abolitionist, bibliophile, "Colossus of Independence", defense counsel at Boston Massacre trial, extemporaneous speaker, Federalist, graduate of Harvard, honest, independent minded, jurist and political theorist, keen of mind, letter writer, Mr. President, negotiator, outspoken, patriot, Quincy born, revolutionary, state constitution author, talker, unyielding, volatile, White House prayer composer, XYZ Affair  president, Yankee, zealous

I think if I could describe him in a few words, I'd probably say he was an American original.

In preparing this, I saw a suggestion that history/social science teachers show clips of the musical 1776 to stimulate discussion of and learning about  John Adams and his times.  So---- enjoy:

For God's sake John, sit down

Guess Whose Birthday It Is

Well, it's time again to send up birthday wishes to - guess who!

Happy Birthday, John Adams!  Hope it's a great one for you.  Time does fly by (I think this one's number 278, but who's counting?) - at least for us down here it still does.

I'm still working on the biography; David McCullough has certainly done a fine job, but it is a big project to get this one finished.  One day I WILL get through it!  I noted that Mr. McCullough said on your life portraits program (C-Span) that you Adamses, down to present day, firmly believe in education.  As an educator (retired now) I second that for sure.

Well, as usual, I'll ask you to help keep an eye on us down here.  We could use it.

And today, celebrate and enjoy.

Now, what would THEY say?

Especially considering the revelations of such far-reaching spying and data gathering recently, I decided to play that old game of imagining what the Founding Fathers would have to say.  We may not know for sure, but we may have some clues - and I do have some actual quotes!

So imagine a news anchor is on air when 5 gentlemen in colonial garb enter the studio...

"Here in the studio are some gentlemen with extraordinary claims.  I think I'll let them speak for themselves and you folks at home can make up your own minds."  She gives a microphone to the first guest.

"This is George Washington.  I have some real concerns about the state of our freedoms.  In 1783, I said, 'If freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to slaughter.'  Citizens, do not take this Freedom, or any other of our Freedoms for granted.  Be ever vigilant."

The next guest takes the microphone.  "This is John Adams.  I learned the hard way that Freedom of Speech needs to respected. Yes, the Bill of Rights is there for a reason.  Remember also not invest too much power in any one official.  My words are still true: ' ...trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.'  By the way, Mrs. Adams keeps asking me about why some Equal Rights Amendment has not been ratified."

The microphone passes to a third guest. "This is Thomas Jefferson.  It is true that members of our generation were the first American Dissenters.  So nothing could be more American.  I still feel that 'The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.'  Do not let government put out this fire of independence of spirit."

Guest number four now takes up the mike.  "This is Benjamin Franklin.  A wise man once said, ' They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.'  Oh, that was me, wasn't it?  Well, I told you it was a wise man!  My message to you today is do not give into fear-mongering, but cherish and defend your liberties.  Freedom may have some risks, but isn't it really better than the alternative?"

Guest number five now takes his turn.  "This is James Madison.  Please remember who ordained our Constitution.  It was 'We, the People.'  It was not We, the Surveillance State, and certainly not We, the Corporations. One of the functions of our hallowed document is to 'secure the Blessings of Liberty.'  We must make sure we hold our laws and officials to that standard."

The microphone passes back to George Washington.  "Dear citizens, remember that a republic is supposed to foster liberty and freedom. As I wrote so many years ago, 'It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.' Know your freedoms and protect them."

The anchor receives back the microphone.  "Thank you, gentlemen for sharing with us your very stimulating thoughts.  We'll be right back after this break."

Happy Birthday to John Adams

Let's take a moment from all Sandy all the time and wish a "Happy Birthday" to our Second President (Number 277!). 

My, how the years have flown by!  My, how the nation has grown!  Are you still keeping an eye on us, John Adams?  We surely need someone to do that.  If it is at all possible, any wisdom you could cosmically impart to us would be appreciated.

Be sure on this birthday to also celebrate a little and know you're not forgotten.

Happy Birthday, John Adams!

Well, time again to wish a very Happy (somewhat belated) Birthday to John Adams, second President and Founding Father!

From 276 years ago to today, Adams still has lessons to impart to us. It's always interesting, to me at least, to learn history and to learn from it. Certainly Adams is worthy to learn from. And there have been many times when I've wished Adams would somehow teach our contemporary lawmakers and politicians a few things!

I also believe that someday I WILL finish David McCoullough's biography.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

Happy Birthday, John Adams

It's the time of year to wish a "Happy Birthday" to our Second President. I hope you won't mind, Mr. President, if I mention you're a hale and hearty 275!!! And you're not forgotten. Gov. Jesse Ventura mentioned you in his chat the other week.

I often wonder what John Adams would think of our country today. What would he make of our current political climate? What would he make of the current world situation? What would he think of our economy?

It's impossible to know, of course, but an interesting exercise nonetheless. By asking ourselves what he and other Founding Fathers - and Mothers - would do, it challenges us to look for solutions. They faced incredible challenges. What can we learn from them to apply to our present day?

One thing I think we might learn from is their pragmatism. Not perfect, certainly, but they were able to compromise and get some big steps taken. Admittedly, there were more problems later (i. e., the Civil War), but at least they ignited the fire. Today, we have such name calling (I get so sick of seeing Liberal used as a smear term) and polarization , it's hard to get ANYTHING positive accomplished. The ads are so negative (although not a totally new concept, I think now it's worse than ever) I wonder if there are ANY decent candidates around!

So if there is something I wish we'd learn from Mr. Adams and Co., it would be to really come together and work for the good of the country and "We, the People".

Happy Birthday, John Adams

Hi to anyone who actually reads my blog. Yes, I'm still around, but trying to keep up with everything gets hectic sometimes. Unfortunately, blogging is not a TOP priority.

But since it is that day, and I have 5 minutes to breathe this evening, I have to post a Happy Birthday to our second President. Happy Birthday, Mr. President and many good wishes!

I have to confess I have not yet finished that biography by David McCullough (I keep promising myself I will get through it all one day). I haven't even seen the Miniseries based on it - but I hope to see it on DVD one day. Of course I watched The Adams Chronicles years ago; it would be nice to see that miniseries again.

I hope we all will take a few minutes to honor Adams' heritage of dedication and service to our country; his commitment to freedom. We must continue to work, pray, hold officials accountable, and strive to advance further toward those ideals.

Birthday Greetings

Again it's time to send Birthday greetings to our second President. Happy Birthday to John Adams! We could use some of your spirit now to help solve the problems of this country. Maybe you could somehow send some decent advice to the current administration; they surely need it!

I've started David McCullough's award-winning biography of our birthday boy. I haven't gotten too far as there never seems to be enough time to settle in to read, but I am already very impressed with the painstaking research McCullough did. I should also note here that just recently we lost George Grizzard, the actor who so wonderfully portrayed John in "The Adams Chronicles" miniseries.

Although I have visited Quincy and the Adams sites, I still would like someday to revisit and attend the Presidential Wreath laying ceremony. Maybe one year they'll have it on a weekend day and I'll be able to somehow get a way up there. Meanwhile, here's a link to the sites to check out.

I'm Back, Sort of

If anyone's reading this, you know I haven't posted to this blog for a while. Things have been particularly crazy at work this semester; there's been so much to do on weekends; and there was the little matter of having to get a new heater and oil tank. I'm not sure how much time and energy I'll still have for this, but I may not give it up just yet. There's so much I probably could write about if I were more motivated, it seems.

I even missed my man John Adams' birthday. Well, Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. President! Hope you're praying for this country from the other side.

Happy Birthday, John Adams!

The Birthday Boy

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Today is the day to wish a happy birthday to John Adams - yes our second President! I never thought too much of him until the Adams Chronicles came on tv. I so enjoyed that mini-series and found out what a great person he was. Although he certainly wasn't a very good president (sorry...), he had lots of good sense and integrity, was anti-slavery,wasn't afraid to say what he thought, and was quite a liberated guy for the times!

Following the series, I fairly DEMANDED that my parents take me to see where he lived. So that summer we went to Quincy, MA. We visited the museum; went briefly by his birthplace and the house he moved into when he married Abigail - where son John Quincy was born. We took a tour of the main house. That was incredible - to actually see where they lived and all those family heirlooms. Most impressive was probably the library. That was a separate building lined wall to wall, floor to ceiling - three books deep. We also saw where he, Abigail, John Quincy and his wife Louisa were buried. This is in the basement of United First Parish Church in Quincy. I was actually able to touch the marble enclosing their coffins.

John Adams was a fairly quotable guy. To commemorate his day, here are some of my favorites:
First, three we should heed today:

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

"Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence".

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."

Another one to think about:
"Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power."

And here's one I wish our Supreme Court had believed:
"Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty."

Being an educator, I find his views on education stimulating:

"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people."

"There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live."

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

Finally, some good advice for all of us:

"Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."

Happy Birthday to you, John Adams; hopefully somehow in cosmology you're getting these vibes!