“We are reluctant to admit that we owe our liberties to men of a type that today we hate and fear -- unruly men, disturbers of the peace, men who resent and denounce what Whitman called 'the insolence of elected persons' -- in a word, free men. ”

Yes, terrorists created our country. In 200 years, will Iraqi insurgents be considered the "founding fathers of Iraq"? Probably! Like them, we would kill those invading our country, even if the invaders argue they are freeing us.

Free men are hated, dispised, feared, ridiculed, legislated against, ruled against, more than any other group of people in the U.S.

Slave owners... intellectual elite... robber barons... business tycoons... there are so many words to describe them... this quote is just not all that quotable.

So if you are not being a pain in somebody's ass, you are un-American. ;-)

And Reston, you are an idiot.

Who would dare to choose Freedom ? We owe our Liberties to men of a type, feared and unruly men who resent the insolence of elected persons preaching socialism and chains. A good man, may see the oppression, a better man, a Freed man, will fight for his neighbor's Liberty. Semper FI

I don't think the quote is referring to the founders specifically. "Unruly men, disturbers of the peace, men who resent and denounce the insolence of elected persons" have always defended their personal responibility -- and must continue to today if liberty is to be respected at all.