17 Dec
2003
17 Dec
'03
6:17 p.m.
perry@piermont.com writes:
Jefferson could have been a mass murderer for all I care. His words may be evaluated fully independently of his actions. They are not interdependent.
Many of our current politicians would be heartened by your sentiment: Do as I say, not as I do. Personally, I incline more towards the other cliche: Actions speak louder than words. It is possible to evaluate a persons words independent of their actions, but, given that environment has some effect on behaviour, it is not at all clear that you can treat them as independent. Nor, more importantly, would you want to. It could prove to be a good breeding ground for cynicism. Or is it sarcasm... ;-) James