Here's the real story of the Declaration of Independence:
For 17 days, the thirty-three-year-old secluded himself in a rented room in Philadelphia.
On a small, portable desk, he began writing, laying the foundations of this new American government. Unlike
every nation before it, this country’s heart would not beat with the blood of royal lines. This would be a nation based on ideals.
It took Thomas Jefferson seventeen days to find the right words. Seventeen days of writing and rewriting before he nervously presented his document
to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.
The Declaration of Independence became the greatest decree in Western civilization.
Jefferson could’ve easily taken credit for writing it. But he never bragged about his accomplishment. Even when he was elected president, most Americans never
knew he was the author of their independence.
In fact, his authorship didn’t become common knowledge until years later after his death.
Because to Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence was written not just for all of America, but by all of America. It was the manifestation
of a new nation and a new mind.
He was merely the messenger. ★
(from Heroes for My Son)
Healthy and happy July 4th to all!
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
—Thomas Jefferson #July4th
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Thirty-three years ago, in my bravest moment of junior high, I asked out the prettiest girl in school. In honor of her birthday, here’s the story I wrote twenty years ago for Details magazine (remember magazines?) when Cori and I first got married. All these
years later, we’ve had so many ups and downs, but my God, do I still love this woman. Happy birthday, my love. MY FIRST LADY by Brad Meltzer:
Our story starts like this: She was the captain of the cheerleaders; I had just moved to Florida from Brooklyn. She was wavy hair, green e
yes, and a red scrunchie; I was in puberty. She was popular; I was unknown. She was beautiful; I was entranced. She liked to laugh; I was (somewhat) funny. In time, we met. I was fifteen.
Like most of us at that age, I really didn’t think I would marry the person I was taking to
THREAD ABOUT LIFE.
This is my wife with Presidents @BillClinton and Bush. We’re now back from an incredible few days in Little Rock for her @PLSprogram program. Highlights included talking to President Bush about his Mom, and the total madness of
Cori being seated next to W. for dinner. More important, in this time of massive political divisiveness, perhaps my favorite part was watching these two men — from opposite sides — find common ground, laughing, sharing, and being open and honest about their hardest days and
greatest regrets. As they pointed out, it is far easier to see our enemies as two-dimensional villains, rather than three-dimensional people. (I’m saying this especially to all the people who will write comments below about how they hate Clinton or Bush or Iraq or
THREAD. I am utterly heartbroken at the loss of my friend Barbara Bush. She gave me one of the most amazing, rewarding, and unimaginable friendships of my entire life. When we first met, I was utterly intimidated by the raw power that came off her. I left thinking two things:
1) She's the reason the Bush family took the White House twice. And 2) I never want to be on her bad side. But I also instantly knew this: She was so damn funny. I mean it. As sharp a wit as I've ever seen. She wrote in one of her biographies that while she was shopping
for one of my books, someone in a bookstore told her she looked like Barbara Bush. I don't remember the punchline anymore. But she had the perfect punchline. Always. Soon after, we started writing to each other. Our letters kept going back and forth over the years,