Thoughts on the HBO miniseries JOHN ADAMS

I was watching episode 2 of the HBO miniseries JOHN ADAMS last night and a couple of things occurred to me. One, there was just as much bickering in Congress then as there is now, so it's good to know that it's been consistent through the ages. Two, the men who crafted the Declaration of Independence were very careful and deliberate with their choice of words. Three, it is clear that the founding fathers wanted a government that was limited in scope and that would let individuals make decisions for themselves. As subjects of King George, they had no say over what the government could and could not do to them. Sure, we're all familiar with the cry of "no taxation without representation" (and if you're not, then go look it up) but it was more than just that issue.

Lastly, I would like to point out something that Laura Linney said at the Emmy Awards this year after she won the Emmy for Best Actress in a miniseries for her role in JOHN ADAMS. She said "Our founding fathers were community organizers, and they were remarkable men." I agree with half of that quote. Yes, they were remarkable men. But they were not community organizers, Ms. Linney. They were revolutionaries. That is a big difference. Community organizers are not considered enemies of the state and threatened with hanging if they do not succeed in their endeavors. If the American Revolution had failed, those men would have been hanged.

If Barack Obama, a former community organizer (and who Ms. Linney was undoubtedly referring to when she made her statement), failed at getting a apartment complex renovated or a gazebo built, he simply moved on to other things. There was no threat of death hanging over him.

Let's show our founding fathers the respect they deserve and not trivialize their accomplishments by comparing them to a first term junior Senator. When Barack Obama authors a document as great as the U.S. Constitution, then maybe I'll add him to Mount Rushmore. Until then, he's a former community organizer who has yet to author any impressive legislation during his term in the Senate.