If we lived in some utopia where everyone minded their own business and didn't manage others behavior to their own liking, didn't covet their neighbors property, and didn't lie, cheat, steal, and murder, there would be no need for laws. Unfortunately, we live in a world with liberals.

Helorat, I have complete confidence that you can take a few leftist barbs. Mine was just an observation of the liberal mind (their collective mind, that is, since that's all they have).

A government that allows itself to be criticized is at least in part working properly. The government that silences dissent or even criticism is well on the path to dictatorship. That being said, our own government has already taken the first steps to squelch criticism when/if it passes hate speech laws that are meant solely to stop debate and declare a winner. It is not government's job to be the arbiter of morality and evil. It's job is to reflect the will of the people and the natural rights of individuals in it's laws.

So, what happens when everyone is a demagogue? It would seem there would be no "important advantages" left.

Mike, maybe it's not the quote that needs to be hung in government quarters. Maybe a few politicians need to be hanged in them.

I don't think killing the violators of our rights will be absolutely necessary, Reston. Prison will be fine with me. If you want to be a true non-violent resistor, don't pay your taxes.

It's much less risky to be a con man and cheat your way into a fortune than be an armed robber stealing your way to wealth. That is, of course, is why our esteemed politicians prefer to be grifters.

I don't believe the collectivists are all that sure of themselves. That's why they have to herd together with groupthink and shout down anyone who disagrees with them. If shouting doesn't work they will call you names, dehumanize you by calling you a rodent or rat. Eventually they will decide you are a reactionary and try to kill you to silence that little, nagging doubt in their minds.

That is right, Archer. It takes understanding and understanding takes education. That is why today's students are so ignorant of history. Government schools mean to keep students ignorant and compliant so they will not resist unconstitutional laws.

Some laws are just made to be broken and with good cause. Three stars because what he said is true but only three because he said it like it's a bad thing.

Natural rights are universal and constant throughout time. As Pete said, a right cannot abridge the right of another. That is why the idea of a right to health care, housing, or a free meal is so immoral. When you claim your right to a freebie, someone has to pay for it with their time and work. In fact they become your slave for a time. As for the quote, the biggest usurper of rights today are the courts who put such great import in the unjust principles they themselves create. It's time we saw more impeachment proceedings against judges who refuse to uphold the Constitution.

I've got the first commandment down. Now I just need to know what the second is.

In this world of moral equivalences, shades of gray, and lack of judgment, it is no wonder that people fail to either cooperate with good or oppose evil. Few even know what they are anymore.

It's ironic this came from Woodrow Wilson, champion of the income tax and banana republics. If only he had practiced what he preached.

A little government goes a long way.

Watch Al Gore's schlockumentary "Inconvenient Truth" to see an assault on reason.

This is one of the many great things President Jefferson did. As far as GW goes, I have for many years thought he had more in common with FDR than any other president, and that is no compliment. The only question is, who will go in the interment camps this time?

The Patriot Act is not the law I fear on a daily basis (yet). The laws I fear daily are the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act. Imagine how easy it is to say something that one of the protected class can malignantly misconstrue as a violation of these laws, and file suit. How many truly innocent comments or stares into the distance have been called sexual harassment? Careful what you say, Big Brother is listening; or , more likely, Big Sister.

If someone writes something that deserves the negative reactions of his employer, neighbors, or associates, then they should expect them. The problem comes when government starts becoming the dictator of "proper" thoughts and right-speak.

The lack of a written contract never stopped a lawyer from suing or from defining freedom out of existence. Any speech that does not directly threaten or destroy someone else's property must be tolerated. Any speech can be "hate speech" to someone and it is a dangerous path to speak of not tolerating someone else's thoughts or beliefs. As for myself, I think most of the speech that comes from leftist progressives is hate speech. Maybe Anonymous from Reston is right. They should be locked up too.

Ah, yes. The global warming believers say the debate is over and that anyone who disagrees is a "denier" in the vein of some neo-Nazi holocaust denier. They've even gone so far as to call anyone who disagrees with them guilty of crimes against humanity. It seems that I have seen plenty of expressions of dissent against war, the President, the government, and the military and I haven't heard of anyone being sent to Guantanamo. Can someone enlighten me?

He is speaking of political expressions. We can all say we despise the government for one reason or another in a quiet debate. People have done that constantly throughout history and governments are not threatened by that. When people show too much enthusiasm (in government's eyes), they are called revolutionaries and are accused of everything from incitement to treason.

When all the world falls into depravity, the uncorrupted man will be viewed with suspicion and abhorrence, and it will take courage to remain honest.

Sorry, Robert, it is not courageous to trudge through a mundane life. If anything it takes a bit of cowardice and a love for security to live a life like that. Courage requires you to risk losing everything including your life for a greater good. It is not courageous to complain when there are no consequences.

Sometimes those "angular" and "rasping" minds are just obtuse and grating and have very little originality or independence. All minds are not of equal importance and their opinions may be just foolishness. Are we to values those as much as a thoughtful intelligent thinker?