Interesting....

While some of the projections of the founders in a rather idyllic light have a subjective view, those projections run counter to recorded facts.

On of the best sources for information about several of the founders, especially those who lived in or near Boston back then, can be found in the Kirstein Business Library (now part of the Boston Public Library system). As a kid I had to research a few of the more notorious and romanticized persona of the time, and Kirstein's records were not so "idyllic" in their portrayal. There were particular founders who owed small (and large) fortunes in back taxes, had outstanding debts of rather high proportions (under the then-standard of conduct), and thus had a financial stake (to include avoiding debtor's prison) in the revolution .

However the founders were in fact, whether they would condone the concepts of abortion, open homosexual relationships, euthanasia, gun control, or even a graduated income tax is pure conjecture. These were men who had one unifying trait - fear of a powerful, central government which could at whim change their immediate environment, forcing tacit acceptance of morality and behaviors they found personally reprehensible.

Liberalism is not the advocating of concepts of morality and behavior to the point where there is no longer any morality and all behavior is permitted. Liberalism is not against laws and definitely not for anarchy. Liberalism is to view all laws to the full extent of the writing, versus the enforcing of a law so tightly that unintended consequences occur.

Conversely, Conservatism is not the abolishment of all behaviors because they are "different" or unexpected. Conservatism views laws as specific and enforceable, and expects contrary behavior to occur only when the laws are amended by the citizenry. Anarchy is abhorred.

Neither Liberalism nor Conservatism condone outright scofflaw behavior, and both accept that local mores dictate local conduct. Both agree that society is evolutionary, and also the pace of that evolution difffers according to the will of the local voters. Both also try hard to influence those voters.

Again, this thread has been interesting....