Between Syd Barrett, the founder of Pink Floyd who died last Friday at aged 60, and Aljazeera.net's latest hero Kevin Barrett, the University of Wisconsin's new 9/11 conspiracy professor, the surname Barrett is all over the headlines this week.

But thanks to John T. Barrett, an alert, patriotic NY Daily News reader, it has come to my attention that many on the left are erroneously attributing the quote "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." to Thomas Jefferson. They're even selling this treasonous tripe on bumper stickers. The honorable Mr. Jefferson never said or wrote those words. It was the anti—American Howard Zinn who uttered those ridiculous words.

Mr. John T. Barrett also reminded me that, it was Thomas Jefferson who sent US Marines to the shores of Tripoli (now Tarabulus), Libya to protect American lives from being kidnapped, ransomed and or beheaded by Muslim pirates, circa 1805. Hence the Marine Corp Hymn "From the Halls of Montezuma, To the Shores of Tripoli."
 
Normally I would tell these individuals that they should be ashamed of themselves for misquoting Thomas Jefferson that way. But that would be a complete waste of time, you have to know pride before you can feel shame.
 
Joseph Crowley  7 13 06