Unbiased Opinion Quotes
After being criticized for printing a ship captain's advertisement that excluded clergymen as passengers, local clergy threatened to boycott the Gazette and take no printing jobs to Franklin. Due to the resulting clamor, Franklin published this "apology," i.e. apologetics, a statement of his philosophy as a printer, and concludes by explaining how and why he printed the offending handbill and why he should not be censured for the act.
The logical conclusion of the Jeffersonian approach was perhaps best reached by H. L. Mencken: {607257}. This quotation is often used incorrectly to show that Jefferson opposed political parties. While he did in 1789, he changed his position after observing America develop. See {51500} for Jefferson’s later view.
The loyalty and sometimes hypocrisy that is often called for by political parties tends to be offensive to people of serious thought and intellect. However, America has developed two major political parties which while from time to time tend to lock-step obedience, over time tolerate wide diversity and there are few areas in which there can be a party loyalty test. In nations where there are many parties each can be very well-defined and narrow, while if essentially only two, they must have broad tents in order to win. Thinkers are more comfortable in that kind of party.
Ingersoll was considered to be the greatest orator and political thinker of his day, but his overt atheistic views curtailed his elected political career.
It is interesting to note that the First Lady described herself as a “poor scribe”. However, she wrote more columns over the years than any other journalist or columnist while doing everything else she did.
Spinoza was one of the most feared intellectuals in human history—feared that is by the established power structures. He is the only known person who was excommunicated by the Catholics, the Jews and the Muslims—all were forbidden to read his works. He was the enemy of authority and advocated personal reason as the guide for men.
Karol Jozef Wojtyla. At the time he was Archbishop of Krackov. He had seen Poland invaded and dominated by Germans and then dominated by Russia. The Communist government was embarrassed and furious.
