Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quoteShare via Email Print this Page Daily Quotes Archives2015-06-06 Jun 5, 2015First ask yourselves, Gentlemen, what an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a citizen of the United States of America understand today by the word 'liberty'. For each of them it is the right to be subjected only to the laws, and to be neither arrested, detained, put to death nor maltreated in any way by the arbitrary will of one or more individuals. It is the right of everyone to express their opinion, choose a profession and practice it, to dispose of property, and even to abuse it; to come and go without permission, and without having to account for their motives or undertakings. It is everyone's right to associate with other individuals, either to discuss their interests, or to profess the religion which they or their associates prefer, or even simply to occupy their days or hours in a way which is more compatible with their inclinations or whims. Finally, it is everyone's right to exercise some influence on the administration of the government, either by electing all or particular officials, or through representations, petitions, demands to which the authorities are more or less compelled to pay heed. Now compare this liberty with that of the ancients. The latter consisted in exercising collectively, but directly, several parts of the complete sovereignty; in deliberating, in the public square, over war and peace; in forming alliances with foreign governments; in voting laws, in pronouncing judgments; in examining the accounts, the acts, the stewardship of the magistrates; in calling them to appear in front of the assembled people, in accusing, condemning or absolving them. But if this was what the ancients called liberty, they admitted as compatible with this collective freedom the complete subjection of the individual to the authority of the community.~ Benjamin Constant Jun 4, 2015Liberty means that a man is recognized as free and treated as free by those who surround him.~ Mikhail A. BakuninIt's about food. It’s about your home. It’s about your life. The government is worried about all of the above. All I’m saying is you should be worried they’re worried. Here’s why: They’re telling you that you can’t take care of yourself. You can’t be trusted with what you put in your mouth or what you sign on the mortgage dotted line. So they’ll tell you what to put in your mouth and they’ll save you from what you signed on that dotted line. Does anyone see a trend here? Personal responsibility has now become government responsibility.~ Neil CavutoGood government is the most dangerous government, because it deprives people of the need to look after themselves.~ Mahatma Mohandas K. Gandhi Jun 3, 2015There is nothing in the universe that I fear, but that I shall not know all my duty, or shall fail to do it.~ Mary LyonThe great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute -- he simply speaks and does what is right.~ MenciusIs life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!~ Patrick Henry Jun 2, 2015We all know our duty better than we discharge it.~ John RandolphThe power of the legislative being derived from the people by a positive voluntary grant and institution, can be no other than what that positive grant conveyed, which being only to make laws, and not to make legislators, the legislative can have no power to transfer their authority of making laws, and place it in other hands.~ John LockeAnother flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Jun 1, 2015Force is the weapon of the weak.~ Ammon HennacyThe greater the power the more dangerous the abuse.~ Edmund BurkeNobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it.~ Malcolm X Previous week's quotes Next week's quotes Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print