:37:01
What of its conceits?
:37:05
"All men created equal," "inalienable
rights," "life, liberty," and so on.
:37:12
What on Earth are we
to do with this?
:37:15
I have a modest suggestion.
:37:37
The other night I was talking
with my friend Cinque.
:37:41
He was over at my place, and we were
out in the greenhouse together.
:37:45
He explained to me how when a member
of the Mende - that's his people...
:37:52
How when a member of the Mende
encounters a situation
:37:55
where there appears
no hope at all,
:37:58
he invokes his ancestors.
:38:01
Tradition.
:38:07
The Mende believe that if one can
summon the spirit of one's ancestors,
:38:12
then they have never left.
:38:15
And the wisdom and strength
they fathered and inspired
:38:19
will come to his aid.
:38:29
James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton,
:38:33
Benjamin Franklin,
:38:35
Thomas Jefferson,
:38:39
George Washington,
:38:44
John Adams.
:38:54
We have long resisted
asking you for guidance.
:38:58
Perhaps we have feared
in doing so,