Thomas Jefferson/misquotes
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Misquoting Thomas Jefferson seems to be a popular pastime on both sides of the political spectrum. Some things Jefferson did not say but which are widely attributed to him include the following:
Democracy
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
Government
A government big enough to give you everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have....
– Monticello has not found this anywhere in Jefferson's writings
Religion
- /Christianity "...I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature...": a quote with two versions
Social Welfare
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