Thomas Jefferson/misquotes
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Overview
Misquoting Thomas Jefferson seems to be a popular right-wing pastime.
Nonexistent
Here are some things Jefferson did not say but which are widely attributed to him:
Democracy is Mob Rule
A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.
- 2007-08-15 Rove's 'Mob' Remark: An Age-Old Social Slur: "The esteemed founder never said it. The folks at Monticello's research library witheringly say that old saw has been dogging him for years."
Attributions:
- Bevin Chu, on LewRockwell.com
- Thinkexist.com (index of quotations)
- 2008-12-31 Meltdown 2011: We're a Republic, NOT a Democracy
Social Welfare Will Kill Democracy
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
I can't find a definitive statement that he did not say this, but it's not in any of the reliable collections and nobody cites a source for it.
Attributions:
- Democracy Is Not Freedom (sidebar)
- Sovereignty Colorado