John Philpot CurranJohn Philpot Curran, (1750-1814) Irish Orator, Statesman, Judge

John Philpot Curran Quote

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”

John Philpot CurranJohn Philpot Curran
~ John Philpot Curran

Speech, Dublin

Ratings and Comments


winsmith, Anywhere, USA

To muse is to think; amuse is no think, amusements inhibit thinking. SEE why actors, entertainers, ball players, hockey players, pornographers, journalists, evangelists, cartoonists, novelists, movie and TV stars, and casino operators are so highly rewarded with paper money to keep us and themselves thinking about who had all of that paper first and what did they give for it to whom and just what does government spend? WHY should they spend money when all of us will risk our lives and even die for strips of paper that have not bore promises to pay since 1963? The vigilance of Americans is to keep their eyes on TV, ball games, movies etc. "My people perish for lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

Mike, Norwalk

winsmith, your comment is sad but accurate.

Waffler, Smith

Maybe true but oh so sad. If we have to be eternally vigilant are we not a slave to this thing called liberty. If a slave and unable to relax, have fun, etc is it worth having? Does eternal vigilance take away the very thing that we really desire? Heck every one needs to have a little R and R.

J Carlton, Calgary

More than vigilance, it's time to put DC under a microscope.

Mike, Norwalk

Waffler, The eternal vigilance is not for or to freedom; it is rather against despotism, tyranny, hate, power and war mongers, the want-a-be slaves desiring a slave society with all being slaves, and those fair weather friends / sunshine patriots that are so lackadaisical about the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God, inalienable rights, and the sovereign nobility of each individual that they advocate, democracy, socialism in its many forms, a monarchy, or some other form of anti-liberty and just want to relax, have fun, and have a little R and R while liberty is being eradicated.

jim k, Austin,Tx

Waffler, the German people took a "little R & R" and Hitler and the Nazi's took over and killed a few million people. Also, something you said yesterday was interesting, that the world was a friendly place to do business because of government. Are you totally nuts. Government makes it ten times more difficult to do business than if they would just butt out. Go back to sleep Waff, you need more rest.

Jamie, Nelson

As the Bard might have penned? "Aye, there's the rub".

E Archer, NYC

Geez, Waffler, are you sure you are not a character from 1984? "Freedom is Slavery," eh? Vacationing on the backs of others' labors is oppression, and your double-speak (which isn't very good) merely attempts to justify it. All you are dong is appealing to those that 'have got theirs' -- I don't know how you expect to change any minds here -- an awakened slave can tell when he is being bullshitted... can you?

Johann Hollar, St Paul, Minnesota

This country is so pathetic to try and convince people It's a democracy, when in fact it is a capitalist run police state. That's why I am proud to speak out against the tyranny that America has become.

GunnyCee, Durham

Winsmith is correct. With our attention (vigilance) diverted away from the shenanegans in DC to what the Romans called the Big Circus, our freedoms are being taken from us like so many pirranahs stripping the flesh from a wilderbeast who failed, for one second, to be vigilant.

GunnyCee, Durham

"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become prey to the active. The conditions upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime, and the punishment of his guilt." - John Philpot I'll be damned if I'm going to sit back and watch the "progressives" take this country over any make me and my loved ones kowtow to their idiotic demands. How can any of us leave such a legacy to our children and grandchildren?

Waffler, Smith

Archer you misread, I am not surprised. All I was saying is what can of real liberty or freedom do you have if you cannot ever relax. Most folk ban together and set up sentries to be vigilant and then they take turns in relaxing and having fun. I think you take yourself a bit to seriously Archer. Again for me my liberty and freedom which by the way I enjoy emensely is to do what I want to when I want to and I am not so knee jerky that I have to be always vigilant. Some in this country "at least know they are free" and they enjoy it. I don't think you know it or enjoy it.

E Archer, NYC

I enjoy my freedom, Waffler, so get your hand out of my pocket.

Ronw13, ID
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Ronw13, ID    9/15/23

The oppressor, like the cold of night, be vigilant to keep your fires of Liberty hot and bright. 

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