Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quoteShare via Email Print this Page Daily Quotes Archives2002-08-28 Aug 28, 2002Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe.~ Edmund BurkeThe first duty of government is to protect the citizen from assault. Unless it does this, all the civil rights and civil liberties in the world aren't worth a dime.~ Richard A. Viguerie Aug 27, 2002Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.~ Justice William O. DouglasThe basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter.~ Thomas JeffersonI am for the First Amendment from the first word to the last. I believe it means what it says.~ Justice Hugo L. Black Aug 26, 2002Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.~ Thomas Paine Aug 23, 2002We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future ...upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God.~ James Madison Previous week's quotes Next week's quotes Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print