[yongjik]

But, "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

I don't think opinions of people who were born before telegraphs matter much in today's political discourse. Basically, it boils down to, "I found a quote I agree with, and when I attach $(some famous dead person)'s name on to it, it sounds really great and authoritative."

[vermilingua]

If you really think that we aren’t facing the same problems today, that didn’t exist 300 years ago; you need to take a far harder look at the problems.

[yongjik]

I kinda agree with you, but quoting Benjamin Franklin as a solution is not exactly "taking a harder look" at the problem. How is it any better than "because the Bible says so!"?

[mulmen]

Well Benjamin Franklin was a founder so his thinking is more relevant in a secular nation than the stories in a religious text.