Would you all feel better if he had said "the stars" instead of "heaven"? It seems that the passions of atheists are terribly stirred whenever a mention of God or heaven is made. I thought they were just silly superstitions. Maybe they mean something to you afterall.

God grants liberty to everyone who asks for it. It is the liberty of the spirit that even a slave can have. If we want liberty for our bodies, then it is ours to take and defend by force as necessary.

If we are the key to our own salvation, then we each become our own gods, worshiping our own disires, expecting kindness to ourselves by others. The world becomes a pantheon of godlets whose behavior is as petty to each other as those sitting on Olympus, hurling lightning bolts at one another. The beauty of a Supreme Being is that He puts us in our place, and reminds us that each of us and our desires are not the center of the universe. As Voltaire said, "If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent him." Fortunely, I don't have to invent one.

I prefer, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." Words only have the power that we give them, and nobody can affect my joy and happiness unless I let them. Also, true words do not have to be kind to have a postitive affect. Sometimes the medicine that cures does not have a pleasant taste.

...But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. Matthew 13:57.

What price are you willing to pay for an enemies friendship? Are you willing to compromise the principle of individual free will? How about your freedom to criticize your new-found "friend"? How about your and your families' lives? The reality of the world is that we are in a great, life-long, individual and civilizational competition for survival and the only guarantee of peace is to kill your enemy (or, of course, your enemy could kill you). Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer.

I would say diplomacy is the art of talking incessantly until war is inevitable; and it is seldom patriotic.

Tyranny is usually only seen when it is already too late to do anything about it, and resistance is not much of an option.

The UK has progressed from an armed nation, to a ban on handguns, to a near ban on long guns, to a ban on any "offensive weapon" including knitting needles, sharp, pointed sticks, and, I assume, fists and fingernails. In that time crime has substantially increased and people who defend themselves end up in prison. People who find themselves victims of burglaries are advised to hide and tremble in a corner in the fetal position while they are being robbed and maybe beaten to death as well. The response has been more closed circuit cameras in every conceivable public place, monitored by government officials. There has lately been talk of monitoring conversations on the street to pick any agressive talk. You know, to prevent that brewing trouble. Give up one freedom and eventually you'll lose them all.

Corruption ought to be opposed wherever you find it.

Hey Jack, LBJ.

It is good for the just man to sit in prison next to the others who are unjustly accused. It is better to break them out of prison.

That is truly a scary thought since the constitutional law and political structure of the United States have been sick for at least a century.

Of course everyone has noticed how the titles of bills in congress often reflect the opposite of what the bill is intended to do.

Convoluted wording and legalisms does make it all seem so civilized and proper, almost like an afternoon tea party and something of very little consequence. A juror would do well to remember the very real consequences of his decision.

Better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. Nevertheless, being judged by a jury is no sure thing either. Juries can be manipulated easily as well. I sat on a jury once that ten of the twelve jurors were employees or agents of various government agencies, mostly because government employees are the only people who usually don't try to get out of jury duty. Essentially, the accused was prosecuted, judged, and sentenced by government.

I'll bet Douglas would never have imagined someone like O.J. Simpson. Even so, he's still right.

This is only true if our Constitution is contractual and not a "living, breathing" document as so many of our politicians and elitist power brokers try to convince us. Words matter. They had a meaning 227 years ago, and that meaning must apply today. When we allow tyrants to redefine away our rights at a whim, we deserve what we get. I rate this quote low simply because of the use of "impossible." I have seen with my own eyes that it is possible.

But.....but, it's for the children...

The context in which this was written is interesting. The Social Security Act was passed in 1935, and in 1939 Social Security was expanded to cover dependents and survivors. Payroll taxes were 2%. The government has been increasingly "caring" FOR us ever since, and increasingly doing TO us as well. All I can say is if you ask to be treated like a child, you will be.

This one might help too...............hyperbole.............. hy·per·bo·le [hi p■rb?lee] noun. exaggeration: deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect, for example, 'I could eat a million of these' [15th century. Via Latin, from Greek huperbole, 'excess,' literally 'overthrow,' from ballein, 'to throw.']

Since it seems some here don't seem to know what tyranny means, I thought this might help: tyranny........ tyr·an·ny [tírr?nee] (plural tyr·an·nies) noun 1.cruel use of power: cruelty and injustice in the exercising of power or authority over others 2.POLITICS oppressive government: oppressive government by one or more people who exercise absolute power cruelly and unjustly 3.POLITICS state ruled by tyrant: a country or state under the power of an oppressive ruler 4.cruel act: an act of cruelty committed by somebody with great power [14th century. Via French, from, ultimately, Greek turannos, (see TYRANT).]

I miss Barry.

In the dark recesses of every man lives a despot fighting to come out. The left tends to believe in the innate goodness and nobility of humanity. The right tends to believe in fallen man with all of his selfish inclinations. When we fail to recognize that we all have the potential to do evil, then we allow that inner despot the ability to act. Nobility is a learned and chosen behavior.

I can't think of one either, throughout 5000 years of human civilization. Power to control has as tight a grip on the ruler as the ruler has on his power.