Brushfires of freedom

My favorite quote lately: "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." -- Samuel Adams

In Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," which before the Declaration of Independence was his attempt at setting one such brushfire, many were not convinced we needed to declare independence. But a minority, of which he was one, was.

I like the way he starts: "A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it the superficial appearance of being right." He adds, "There may be an outcry at first, but it soon subsides."

"Time makes more converts than reason. As a long and violent abuse of power is generally the means of calling the right of it into question (and in matters, too, which might never have been thought of, had not the sufferers been aggravated into inquiry)."

I love it. Isn't that exactly us today? Our government has been pushing and exerting its will over and against our preferences. The outcry has been there, and time has finally had its effect. And we, the sufferers, have finally been aggravated into inquiry.

And so now I write, in the same way as Thomas Paine, though the effect will be miniscule in comparison, in an attempt to set a few brushfires myself. If your outcry has been aggravated into inquiry, I challenge you to inquire. You might be surprised at what you find.

MIKE JONES, Cape Girardeau