[benihana]

Talk to me when you don't apply current political and social ideals to pre-industrial revolution America 200 years ago.

[jberryman]

How about Jefferson's own ideals?

[michael_dorfman]

To me, the surprising fact isn't that the man who wrote "all men are created equal" owned slaves; the surprising thing is that a slave-owner wrote "all men are created equal." Talk about having ideals that transcend one's upbringing...