“All might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they should.”

I truly wish that each and every American would read and understand this quotation!

If all of America saw this quote, they might see why we are in Iraq right now!

I think Americans should remove their heads from their asses, and start voting libertarian before they are no longer 'allowed' to. See http://www.lp.org Moreover, the libertarians should get their heads out of their asses, and start running some serious candidates, and those candidates should run more serious campaigns. It's what Sam Adams did, and would have done today. We should vote libertarian, so we aren't forced into violent armed conflict... It's one or the other. For those already leaning toward the "other" category, read "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross...

No one takes a second out of their lives to truly cherish what it means to be free, and they don't defend it either.

To be a patriot, is to be a true American! They are forcing us to quiet down, but if we follow Ben Franklin's words "We must all hang together, or assurldly, we shall all hang seprately." We true Americans must do something.

Again, Thank God Almighty above and his Son, Jesus, for Sam Adams.

This has been the tag line of my email signature for years. Make it yours. :)

If we value security more than freedom, we will soon have neither. I am a bit mystified by "who knows" as to what Jesus had to do with Sam Adams.

'The truth shall set you free.' SO I suppose that all might be free if they valued Truth as they should. It is because of believing lies that we do not do anything. The truth is getting out -- the question is when will it achive enough critical mass to turn the tables? It's coming...

I was castigated in the late 60s and early 70s when frequently going to court to do what I could to reverse the loss of freedom that was occurring in what was once my country. Since those years, I've experienced an exponential growth of the statist theocracy's corruption, despotism and omnipotent stranglehold on liberty. My personal "experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." It is my hope and my dream that the current freedom awakening that seems to be happening will continue until compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity will all be done away and, habeas corpus (with all moral and just procedures and administrations), law, justice, and inalienable rights of the individual sovereign be once again recognized; that all might be free, valuing freedom, and defending it as they should.

Unfortunately the vast majority have no idea what freedom really is, so it would be difficult to defend something you have little if not any knowledge of. The statement is way to broad/simplistic.

We are in Iraq because of greed - our troops are fodder for corporate America - it has nothing to do with Liberty - Our countrymen torture and conduct experiments on prisoners like the Nazi did - how different are we really?

This is blatant hogwash. Throughout history, with the exception of those living through a real political revolution (relatively few!), people living under tyrannical governments haven't had the remotest chance to change their circumstances. Not only is this quote untrue, it also "blames the victim" -- they'd be free if they really wanted to be! I find it sickening.

before we deven these great American Principles we need to defend it in America and let other countries figure it out on their own and defend what ever form of government they want. the days of empire building have got to cease, period.

Laura, in a welfare state, how many would rather be fed than free? Of those socialist theocracy's faithful, how many would choose individual responsibility over power of the herd? Of the fascist (corporatism) elite, how many would choose personal sovereignty over subjecting the masses? To the helot, serf, slave or otherwise immured, how many would speak up to throw off the shackles of compelled compliance, license, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity? To another Samuel Adams quote; of those that love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, how many would reject their self imposed chains? Admittedly, the statist theocracy that now infests this land (complete with Obamunist policy of openly assassinating Americans in America) has sufficiently dummied down most people that they have never heard of, and can not even conceptualize what true freedom is (as stated by Archer). The quote is absolutely true.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things: the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth a war, is much worse. ... A man who has nothing which he is willing to fight for, nothing which he cares more about than he does about his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - John Stuart Mills

OMG!!!! this is amazing!! This is so inspirational; everyone should know about this quote!! I love IT!!!

Is this a call for a more impassioned examination of our education process or our systematic arrangement in general?

I believe it is simply a reminder to return to the principles upon which America was founded.  Teaching American history, civics, and good old fashioned American patriotism would be a good start.

Do students even pledge allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands anymore?  How about singing 'My Country Tis of Thee' or 'America'?  I enjoyed that as a child, but I don't think it's done anymore, like teaching children cursive writing.  Heck, inner-city public high schools can't even graduate students with a 5th grade reading level.

The Department of Education has ruined public education and has promoted dependence, entitlement and victimization.  Which is why we home-schooled our children for most of their education.