The Virgin Ben On The Non-Virgin Ben

The Virgin Ben has an interesting column today. Sure, it reads like one of his regular junior high A.P. essays, but look closer. You can see all the corrections made by his editor as well as the language from the original draft: "Painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art in their art a rising sun from a setting sunone, he noted;" "a process whichthat has abolished slavery;" and "through the mechanism of the eElectoral cCollege."

The editor missed this bit of half-assery, though:

The American sun rises and sets with the Constitution. As Dr. Franklin also pointed out on September. 17, the Constitution itself is but a document --- it relies [sic] on the people to give it truth and life. The Constitution, Franklin stated, '"can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other.'"

In truth, Franklin didn't say that "the Constitution can only end in despotism [etc.]" What he stated (or was quoted as saying) was:

"In these sentiments, Sir, I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, -- if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people, if well administered; and I believe, farther, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other."

It could be worse. When I saw the headline "The Greatest Document Written by Man," I was certain V.B. was devoting yet another column to his book of pornography.

In the meantime, the Virgin Ben should heed Franklin's advice and make a play for Ann Coulter before it's too late.