Or as they probably say at Georgetown University - “Ignoramuses”.
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Georgetown University students hold up a sign with their backs turned towards U.S. Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales (R, at podium) in protest as he speaks … at the university’s ‘Georgetown National Law Forum’ in Washington January 24, 2006.
Sadly, Georgetown University students are so busy “publicly protesting” that there is not enough time to study that great American forefather, Benjamin Franklin, and to quote him accurately. They therefore embarrass themselves and their university by “dowdifying” the great patriot’s words. Michelle Malkin has the original quote straight from Ben himself as it was written in 1755:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
And to illustrate further the lunacy of leftist writers, Maureen Dowd chided the U.S. Attorney General that if he had not ignored the Georgetown University student ignorami, “he might have learned something from their banner, emblazoned with words of Benjamin Franklin”, which she then “double-dowdified” by publishing in today’s New York Times!
“Conservative Cat” has a good essay about the left’s use of Franklin’s famous quotation.
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Turning their backs on the truth
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales gave a speech yesterday at Georgetown University law school in defense of domestic warrantless wiretaps. The Washington Post’s write up on the speech of course included quotes from only those who disagreed wi…
Trackback by Sister Toldjah — January 25, 2006 @ 9:32 am
It’s not a misquote — it’s a paraphrase. There are space limitations.
Comment by Brian Simmonds — January 25, 2006 @ 11:46 am
The dictionary definition of “paraphrase” is: a restatement of a text, passage, or work giving the meaning in another form. The placard set off the phrase with quotation marks, which is only necessary when the phrase is “quoted”, not paraphrased. The changing and dropping of words from the original quotation of Ben Franklin, does seem to change the meaning, so it probably does not qualify as a “paraphrase”.
Comment by Kerfuffles — January 25, 2006 @ 12:49 pm
The meaning of the quote isn’t changed at all.
Comment by Virgil Byron — July 18, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
This quotation “THOSE WHO WOULD SACRIFICE LIBERTY FOR SECURITY, DESERVE NEITHER” is being misrepresented as words of Benjamin Franklin. The quotation is not from him, as far as I can find. It is in fact, a “protest banner” for Progressives, Liberals & Democrats. That is fine for them to have a mantra, but it is not fine for them to claim it as a quote from Ben Franklin.
Comment by Kerfuffles — July 18, 2008 @ 5:04 pm