It was slow in operation, being little aided by invention or imagination, but sure in conclusion. — Thomas Heming, The Man from MonticelloWhat have we as a nation, sharing a common humanity, lost in character, in the devolution of our leadership and the principles of service and selflessness? In his endorsement of freedoms, Jefferson, despite his owning human beings, worked to end the practice of slavery. Each believed in free speech and the necessity of an informed electorate, confident in replacing a hereditary aristocracy with an aristocracy of merit. Richard Taylor of Frankfort is a former Kentucky poet laureate who teaches English at Transylvania University.