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The Thomas Jefferson Discussion Group
of Orlando, Florida
Meeting No. 54 - January 17, 2006
Holiday House Restaurant, Orlando, Florida
THIS MONTH'S TOPIC:
30 YEARS THEN, 30 YEARS NOW: A COUNTRY CONTINUALLY EVOLVING
How about this? It occurred to me last week that nearly 30 years have passed since my family and I stood on the West Side Highway in New York City watching the tall ships sail down the Hudson River in commemoration of the Bicentennial celebration of our country's birth!
Nearly 30 years from writing our country's justification for separation from Great Britain in 1806, Thomas Jefferson was getting ready to begin the second year (on March 4, 1806) of his second term as President of the United States of America! In 2006, George Bush will be beginning the second year of his second term (January 20, 2006).
Has the fabric of our country changed significantly since 1976? Did it change significantly in the 30 years from 1776 to 1806? Tuesday night I'd like to get your impressions on how you think our country has changed since 1976 (Those of you old enough (or, young enough!) to remember :) You might want to put the significant changes in categories, e.g., human rights, women’s rights, education, individual freedom, size of government, etc. and assign value to each: better than, worst than or neutral - Or, just come by and and we’ll do it extemporaneously.
We'll juxtapose your thought’s with the changes in the 30 years during Jefferson's life and see if we can draw any conclusions. It should be fun. Those of you who can't make the meeting, please feel free to e-mail your impressions to me and we'll include them in the discussion.
For February's meeting that will be held on Wednesday, February 15 (I think – if it doesn’t conflict with Kate's "Great Decisions" program) we'll discuss a topic that Frances Tegnazian has suggested: Separation of powers in the branches of our government, and specifically, abuse of power in the Executive Branch – real and alleged (both, historical and contemporary).
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