contemplativeToday, two and a half centuries later, the nation’s bookshelves sag with doorstop biographies of the founders; Tea Partiers dressed as Benjamin Franklin call for an end to social services for the poor; and the “Path to Prosperity” urges a return to “America’s founding ideals of liberty, limited government and equality under the rule of law.” But the story of Jane Mecom is a reminder that, especially for women, escaping poverty has always depended on the opportunity for an education and the ability to control the size of their families.
It seems to me that Tea Partiers using Benjamin Franklin as their totem is an ironic error. This is a fascinating article to this non-USian and, I expect, will also be educational to many USians. Personaly, I read to learn, and I learn more each day.
Poor Jane’s Almanac - NYTimes.com
N.B. I use the geek-coined term "USian" to mean people that dwell in the US of A because the word "Americans" does not, literally, only refer to people that live there, rather to people that live anywhere in North or South America.
