Thomas Jefferson Archives - Tennessee Star

Commentary: The War on Thomas Jefferson

October 27, 2021October 26, 2021 RealClearWire

Portrait of Jefferson in his late 50s with a full head of hair

The final decision, after years of debate, was made on Oct. 8 to remove from the New York City Council chambers the statue of the man we all know to have been a dreaded slaveholder—to the tune of 600 over his lifetime—Thomas Jefferson.

Despite that, writing at Bari Weiss’s Substack, political science professor Samuel Goldman, with whom I concur, is less than happy.

“The removal is disgraceful. Unlike monuments to Confederate leaders that display them in full military glory, Jefferson is depicted as a writer. Holding a quill pen in one hand and the Declaration of Independence in the other, he is clearly being honored for composing an immortal argument for liberty and equality.”

Virginia General Assembly Votes to Remove Statue of Former Governor Harry Byrd, Sr.

February 28, 2021February 27, 2021 Eric Burk

The Virginia Senate voted 36 to 3 Tuesday to remove the capitol’s statue of former Democratic Governor Harry Byrd, Sr. His legacy is marked by his expansion of Virginia’s economy and roads, and is tarnished by a battle to block desegregating schools. The House of Delegates had already voted in favor of the bill, HB 2208, introduced by Delegate Jay Jones (D-Norfolk.) Governor Ralph Northam is expected to approve the bill.

Congressional Candidate Leon Benjamin: It’s Pastor Time

November 1, 2020October 31, 2020 Eric Burk

Leon Benjamin is the senior pastor of New Life Harvest Church, former Richmond GOP Party Chairman, and a candidate for Virginia’s fourth Congressional district.

University of Virginia to Contextualize Monument to Founder Thomas Jefferson

October 6, 2020October 5, 2020 Eric Burk

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan announced that the school will contextualize a monument to its founder Thomas Jefferson. Ryan said the move is part of a broad effort to make the university both “great and good.”

Commentary: D.C. Mayor’s Committee Recommends Removing Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020 Admin

Holy Cow, the cancel culture has sunk even further. Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Alexander Graham Bell, Ben Franklin, Woodrow Wilson, and many more names from American history are now personas non grata in Washington DC. A committee formed by the mayor has recommended taking their name off city-owned buildings. They also recommended removing federal assets such as the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument.

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser formed the District of Columbia Facilities, and Commemorative Expressions Working Group, also known as the DC FACES Working Group.

Carol Swain and Michael Patrick Leahy Discuss Virginia and Thomas Jefferson’s Lineage

August 28, 2020August 27, 2020 Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Carol Swain to discuss her home state of Virginia and claims that Thomas Jefferson fathered four children by way of a slave woman.

Commentary: Why Do They Hate Thomas Jefferson?

July 5, 2020July 4, 2020 Admin

When Al Sharpton demanded, three years ago, that the funding for the Jefferson Memorial’s upkeep be cut off, people laughed. But they’re not laughing now. Actually, they’re still laughing, but now it’s more of a nervous chuckle in dismal expectation of what’s to come. First it was Robert E. Lee, then it was Christopher Columbus, and now it’s old TJ himself.

Lamar Alexander, Defending Andrew Jackson Statue, Begs People Not to Erase History

June 25, 2020June 24, 2020 Chris Butler

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) this week took to the floor of the Senate to plead with people to “not try to erase our history,” especially as it pertains to former U.S. President Andrew Jackson’s statue in Lafayette Square.

During his lifetime, Jackson resided in Tennessee.

Commentary: Are States That Refuse to Reopen Losing the Consent of the Governed?

May 28, 2020May 27, 2020 Admin

What happens to a government when the consent of the governed breaks down? History has many instances of this some ending with peaceful transformation, others with successful revolution as in our own history and still others with military crackdowns as we currently see in Hong Kong.

Thomas Jefferson wrote in our nation’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, which was written as a series of reasons why the American colonists no longer accepted the rule of King George III. The opening two paragraphs of this seminal document used to be memorized by school children as part of their school exercises, a practice which was largely abandoned in the 1960s. So as a refresher, here is what Jefferson penned:

American Inventor Series: Benjamin Banneker, a Black Tobacco Farmer Who Surveyed the Nation’s Capital

September 29, 2019September 30, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Benjamin Banneker was much more than just an inventor. As a mathematician, astronomer, landowning farmer, writer, and surveyor, Banneker was one of the most influential African Americans alive during America’s infancy.

JC Bowman Commentary: Walking Point on Independence Day

July 3, 2019July 2, 2019 JC Bowman

Our nation, our republic, is unquestionably dependent upon the active and informed involvement of our citizens.

JC Bowman Commentary: Lives, Fortunes, and Honor

July 4, 2018July 3, 2018 JC Bowman

JC Bowman writes: Freedom should never be taken for granted. Today we are debating the very concept of what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America. While many citizens are very passionate about our country, others seem disillusioned and some openly hostile. It is why the Declaration of Independence is such an important document. It expresses what it means to be an American.

Commentary: The Turbulent True History of the ‘Good Ole Days’ of Politics

June 29, 2018June 28, 2018 Admin

by Jeffery A. Rendall It’s only natural in times of political turmoil – like what we’re experiencing now and for as long as I can remember – that people harken back to yesteryear for a more tranquil period when everyone got along swimmingly and went out for drinks after…

JC Bowman Commentary: Dark Money + Union Money = Corrupt Politics

May 31, 2018May 30, 2018 JC Bowman

This election cycle we have already seen an influx of unaccountable cash, known as dark money, which pours into our state. Outside money hurts more than it helps. Tennessee voters were not swayed by big spending outsiders. It is worth noting the message the outsiders bring is almost always negative. If you don’t think this is an erosion of democracy, you’re not thinking about it hard enough. The formula is simple: Dark Money + Union Money = Corrupt Politics

JC Bowman Commentary: Reflecting on Memorial Day

May 27, 2018May 26, 2018 JC Bowman

We need to take a minute to THANK those veterans who gave their lives so we Americans can enjoy our liberty.

Texas School District Considering Renaming Schools Honoring Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson Over Slavery Debate

September 19, 2017September 18, 2017 Admin

Ben Franklin’s face graces U.S. currency, but Texas officials may soon remove his name from one middle school over a “connection to Confederacy.” Dallas Independent School District is conducting an investigation into numerous schools in the wake of a national debate over monuments and historical figures associated with slavery. The…

Statue Hysteria Spreads: Jefferson Vandalized at UVA

September 14, 2017September 13, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

A mob of students attacked and defaced the statue of Thomas Jefferson that stands on the University of Virginia campus on Tuesday night. What reportedly began as a rally in protest of the university’s alleged failure to implement a series of radical demands made last month by UVA’s Black Student…

Gov. Bill Haslam Calls for Removal of Bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol

August 17, 2017August 27, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is advocating for the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Capitol in Nashville. “My position on this issue has not changed – I do not believe Nathan Bedford Forrest should be one of the individuals we honor at the Capitol. The…

Commentary: Is Culture Still Relevant?

August 9, 2017August 8, 2017 JC Bowman

The United States is a diverse country, racially and ethnically, as well as in how people choose to organize themselves socially and politically. It can be argued that our public schools are integrally situated to communicate society’s values, such as individual responsibility, patriotism, integrity, objectivity, justice, respect for others, being on time, doing a good job, working well with others, being a good citizen, and exercising democracy in government and other interactions. Americans have thus far kept our republic, and created it to be resilient and strong. However, the United States will remain free only with relentless vigilance and public engagement, which must be transmitted in our culture.

Louisiana Democrats Remove Thomas Jefferson And Andrew Jackson From Name Of Fundraiser

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The Louisiana Democratic Party has dropped the names Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson from its annual fundraising dinner. The Jefferson-Jackson dinner will now be called the True Blue Gala, reports the Associated Press. This year’s event is set to be held Aug. 26 in New Orleans. The name change is…

Commentary: A Bold Vision for Education

June 21, 2017June 20, 2017 JC Bowman

For the first time in history, children have new and different ways of acquiring and accessing, deciphering and digesting information instantly. Children are now contributors, not just copiers, of existing knowledge.

Constitution Series: Judicial Review

May 22, 2017May 21, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

This is the eighth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. The Separation of Powers and Federalism are two foundational…

Commentary: Planting the Roots of the Republic

April 29, 2017June 23, 2017 JC Bowman

Thomas Jefferson was not silent on the most effective manner to pass freedom to future generations depended on providing a quality education to our children. An educated citizenry is the roots that our republic is planted on.

The ‘Aha Moment’ at the Tennessee General Assembly This Year

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 JC Bowman

The idea of a citizen-legislator has gone by the wayside and been replaced by the career politician. Unless there is more transparency and inclusion, there may well be a demand for change in leadership. For certain in 2019 there will be great change, and quite possibly the “drain the swamp” echo from 2016 will filter down to state politics in 2018. It may be time for the state to consider term limits.

Constitution Series: The Electoral College and the Selection of the President

April 17, 2017April 24, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

This is the third of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. The method of selection of a President to head…

Commentary: Education for the Next Generation

April 13, 2017April 12, 2017 JC Bowman

People of great accomplishment do not sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and make things happen. They pursue new or improve existing skills, insights, and ideas. If they are not learning, they understand they are not growing.

Thomas Jefferson & American Education

March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 JC Bowman

An essential objective in public education is, and must be, an educated citizenry that creates an informed electorate.