Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover, (1874-1964), 31st US President

Herbert Hoover Quote

“It [freedom] is a thing of the spirit. Men must be free to worship, to think, to hold opinions, to speak without fear. They must be free to challenge wrong and oppression with the surety of justice.”

Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover
~ Herbert Hoover
(1874-1964), 31st US President
Addresses on the American Road

Conscience , Dissent , Fear , Free Thought , Justice , Oppression , President , Religion , Speech

Ratings and Comments


Mike, Norwalk
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Mike, Norwalk    6/8/09

I absolutely, whole heartedly agree, freedom is a thing of the spirit. Freedom is also a thing of the physical and, all other experiences as a class may be put to. The U.S. has abandon a government of law for a government of men thus, making justice a very rare commodity.

Anon
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Anon    6/8/09

If freedom is a thing of the spirit, which it is, then men must be free to choose.

F. Bastiat, Diebstahlberg
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F. Bastiat, Diebstahlberg    6/8/09

...free to keep the fruits of his labor and run his economic affairs unencumbered ... Oh, sorry. Hoover wouldn't have said that. It was his intervention that started the great depression. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122576077569495545.html I guess freedom's only OK when it's some abstract ideology. The quote is good. The source is pretty ironic.

jim k, austin
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jim k, austin    6/8/09

Hoover started the great depression and Roosevelt kept it going for another 10 years.

Waffler, Smith
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Waffler, Smith    6/8/09

I agree. But I have heard as usual conflicting thoughts about this idea of freedom. In Christian circles some talk about the Law of Liberty meaning the Ten Commandments. So they say that keeping law makes us free, huh? Yesterday I read that man is not totally free as long as he is influenced by causal law, in other words laws hem is in, direct us and makes who we are, from parental law or rules. to school rules etcetera. Sometimes we wax eloquent and sentimantal about this spirit of freedom and maybe we don't even know what we are talking about. The founders were not talking about freedom from law but freedom from dictatorship, eg. King George.

Mike, Norwalk
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Mike, Norwalk Waffler, Smith 6/9/26

Waffler, how do you define law? The de jure States united was to be free as it chose "the law of nature and of nature's God" (Declaration of Independence)  The law you enslave your brothers and sisters with is an unconstitutional "legal positivism".

E Archer, NYC
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E Archer, NYC Waffler, Smith 6/10/26

It's really not complicated.  Let's make a distinction between 'laws' and 'rules.'  The 'law' is immutable (like the law of gravity), it is preexisting and forever.  Rules are what have been determined the best way to act within the boundaries of the law, so as to avoid the inevitable price of 'breaking' the law. 

Simply, 'the law' can be summed up as 'As you sow, so shall you reap.'  Thus the Golden Rule: 'Do unto others as you would have done unto you.' Why? Because of the Law.

When we don't clearly understand the difference between law and statute (i.e. legislation), the State becomes transformed into a god meting out judgement. 

The Common Law is more than enough to adjudicate disputes over violations of rights.  Commercial law is a set of rules for regulating commerce particularly for agreements made for commercial purposes and for regulating commercial use of the public commonwealth.  

These two jurisdictions should remain clearly distinct to prevent the common man from becoming beholden to all rules of commercial law and thus subject to its regulation. 

For the Common Man, no one may subject him to regulation, only to hold him accountable for his actions and any violation of another's rights.

M. Brown, Florida
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M. Brown, Florida    6/8/09

Hmmm, Freedom is a God given right, but not free...and humanity does manage to mess it up on occasion...given enough rope.

RBESRQ
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RBESRQ    6/8/09

Yes, this is along the road to Freedom but still a long way to go. As Krishnamuriti said 'Observe without being the observer' Please listen to his speech San Diego 1970 just google his name. All that there is is SELF all that is is. Freedom is not something you aquire - freedom is.

C Oelerich, Arlington Heights, IL
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C Oelerich, Arlington Heights, IL    6/16/09

Excellent. It accurately describes America and how we should be.

Ronw13, Idaho
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Ronw13, Idaho    12/27/20

Justice, held obscure by those who wield the iron hand within obscurity. Sickening is the hand who hides behind corruption for personal gain. Service to all, an Oath to poverty. Least one forget the meaning of service above self !

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