Send a Quote Enter a brief message. SendOk2 “A government that does not trust it's law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is itself unworthy of trust.” ~ James Madison (1751-1836), Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US PresidentSource: Falsely attributed to Madison in the Federalist Papers. The quote is from Jeffrey R. Snyder in his essay 'A NATION OF COWARDS', published in the Fall '93 issue of The Public Interest, a quarterly journal of opinion published by National Affairs, Inc.