This week, President Thomas Jefferson shares his thoughts on the rights of American citizens to own guns and his wish that America would never have a standing army.
#1153 Guns and Militia
This week, President Thomas Jefferson shares his thoughts on the rights of American citizens to own guns and his wish that America would never have a standing army.
Clay Jenkinson is joined this week by author Joseph Ellis for a lively discussion about popular American conspiracy theories and gun rights in America. In 1785, Thomas Jefferson wrote to his fifteen-year-old nephew, Peter Carr, about what he considered the best form of exercise, "I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise, and independence to the mind." Jefferson also advocated for some gun regulation, barring "pistoling" from the University of Virginia campus.
Civilized nations enact reasonable laws to prevent create a more perfect union, encourage domestic tranquility, secure the lives and fortune of their citizens, and prevent mayhem.
This week we speak with Thomas Jefferson briefly about Alexander von Humbolt, and then bring Jefferson closer to our time by informing him that 50 years ago America landed men on the moon, which he has a bit of trouble believing. We also discuss Woodstock with Jefferson who says he hopes that if there were indeed women in attendance that they were all properly “escorted.”