Reply #35: Regarding Franklin's relevancy to today

[Liberal Classic]

I have to strongly disagree with you about Benjamin Franklin's irrelevancy to today for a number of reasons, not the least of which are his accomplishments with survive to today. I do not you can so easily debunk the man who gave us libraries, fire companies, and bi-focal glasses. In fact, if my childhood home had employed one of Franklin's lightning rods, it would not have burned to a total loss before the arrival of firefighters. My parents read using bifocals and I'm going to need them soon, and of course all of us have been to a library.

Of all of the figures from the revolutionary period Franklin stands as the one who has most influenced modern society and technology. One cannot simply pooh-pooh his words just because you don't like them. Better to explain why this particular quote is irrelevant today while so much of Poor Richard's Almanack remains relevant, to say nothing about his accomplisments which are an intergal part of our daily lives.

``They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.''