|
| What follows is from an article written by a communications
professor.
****************************************
************
"But such is the irresistable nature of truth, that all
it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing."
Thomas Paine, the Englishman who became a major American
revolutionary, wrote these words in 1792, articulating
what has become one of the core values of this country:
the notion of the free exchange of ideas.
Paine's writings on the role of government had a great
deal of influence on Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln,
and Thomas Edison among others. Paine's "Common Sense"
was instrumental in the formation of the Declaration of
Independence. As such, his ideas have helped shape
our society.
But the quote above and other ideas articulated in "The
Rights of Man" can help other nations around the world
understand why Americans value the right of each individual
to engage in a free exchange of ideas. As Paine suggests,
truth must be able to compete on an equal footing with all
other ideas if it is to have a chance.
****************************************
*************
It's a bit Americentric, but the concepts are universal.
Anon
|
|