Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quoteShare via Email Print this Page Daily Quotes Archives2002-08-30 Aug 30, 2002The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.~ Ayn RandWhen we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.~ Justice Charles Evans Hughes Aug 29, 2002[You have Rights] antecedent to all earthly governments: Rights, that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights, derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.~ John AdamsA right is not what someone gives you; it's what no one can take from you.~ Ramsey Clark 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 Previous week's quotes Next week's quotes Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print