Allen West’s new book dotted with familiar, but fake, quotes... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Strange how the other blogger's idol also is a fan and a practitioner of revisionism. It seems that it is o.k. for some now to re-write and create things that famous people have said to justify their current political opinions. Why am I not surprised? This  has probably gone on in human history for a while, but the Internet provides fertile soil for these misquotes and made-up sayings to spread. Click title for link to article. Here is the last one that is discussed.

 A quote attributed to Patrick Henry in West’s book didn’t come from the 18th century Virginian’s writings or speeches, said Henry biographer Thomas Kidd.

West quotes Henry as saying: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.”

Kidd, a history professor at Baylor University in Texas, said the quote appears to be of relatively recent vintage and has taken on a life of its own on the Internet.

“The thing that’s strange about that quote to me is it actually sounds like something that Henry might have said…I find it puzzling that it keeps getting used. You can find similar things that Henry has said that are actual quotes,” Kidd said.

While the bogus quote bears some resemblance to Henry’s actual sentiments, Kidd said the giants of American history deserve better.

“If we admire these people,” Kidd said, “then I think we should represent what they actually said.”