“Any political movement directed against any body of our fellow-citizens because of their religious creed is a grave offense against American principles and American institutions. It is a wicked thing either to support or oppose a man because of the creed he possesses. . . . Such a movement directly contravenes the spirit of the Constitution itself.” MenStatesBodyPoliticalSpiritChurchReligiousPrinciplesSupportMovementCitizensConstitutionFellowsInstitutionsGravesWickedCreedsOffensePolitical MovementsWicked Things Book:Fear God and Take Your Own Part Source: Fear God and Take Your Own Part
“When each citizen submits himself to the authority of law he does not thereby decrease his independence or freedom, but rather increases it. By recognizing that he is a part of a larger body which is banded together for a common purpose, he becomes more than an individual, he rises to a new dignity of citizenship. Instead of finding himself restricted and confined by rendering obedience to public law, he finds himself protected and defended and in the exercise of increased and increasing rights.” DoeBodyTogetherLawPurposeIndividualCommonRightsCitizensExerciseAuthorityFindingsDignityIncreaseIndependenceObedienceProtectedSubmitCitizenshipRecognizingConfinedDecreaseRenderingCommon Purpose Author:Calvin Coolidge
“Of all the differences between the Old World and the New, this is perhaps the most salient. Half the wars of Europe, half the internal troubles that have vexed European States... have arisen from theological differences or from the rival claims of Church and State. This whole vast chapter of debate and strife has remained virtually unopened in the United States. There is no Established Church. All religious bodies are equal before the law, and unrecognized by the law, except as voluntary associations of private citizens.” WorldWarStatesWholeBodyLawDifferencesChurchReligiousUnitedHalfUnited StatesTroubleAtheismCitizensEqualEuropeClaimsPositive AtheismDebateInternalsAssociationChaptersStrifeRivalsChurch And StateTheologicalOld World Author:James Bryce
“I am a big supporter of experiments to complement representative gov't with randomly selected representative bodies of citizens, sure. I think most Americans would be surprised to learn just how much better we are at gov't than our gov't.” ThinkingBodyBigsWould BeCitizensExperimentsRepresentativesSupporterSelectedComplement Author:Lawrence Lessig
“I'm all for experimenting with sortition - randomly selected representative bodies of citizens. But I don't favor direct democracy. We're busy. We have lives. There is reddit. Who has time to work out the right answer to the thousand policy choices a gov't must make all the time?” BodyChoicesAnswersDemocracyPolicyCitizensThousandDirectBusyWork OutFavorsRepresentativesSelectedRight AnswersRedditDirect Democracy Author:Lawrence Lessig