Best Constitution Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 39

“The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority.”

Purpose Ability Constitution Majority Harm Minorities

“We are approaching a time when Christians, especially, may have to declare the social contract between Enlightenment rationalists and Biblical believers - which formed the basis of the constitution written at our nation's founding - null and void.”

May Christian Nations Social Written Enlightenment Bases Constitution Believer Contracts Void Biblical Founding Social Contract Null

Author:Cal Thomas

“We're going to protect and honor the Constitution, and I don't have the authority to set it aside.... If I had the authority to set it aside, this would be a dangerous government, and I wouldn't respect it.”

Ifs Government Would Be Dangerous Honor Protect Authority Constitution Scary

Author:John Ashcroft

“The principles of the United States Constitution are, because of Senator Byrd, still the heartbeat of the US Senate.”

Heart Stills States United Principles United States Constitution Scary Senate Senators Heartbeat

Author:David C. Hardesty, Jr.

“This case is not about whether marriages between same-sex couples are consistent or inconsistent with the teachings of a particular religion, whether such marriages are moral or immoral or whether they are something that should be encouraged or discouraged.... Quite simply, this case is about liberty and equality, the two cornerstones of the rights protected by the United States Constitution.”

“Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution, and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law.”

People Law Sex Process Views Gay Judgment Vote Constitution Court Branches Disagree Governors Jersey New Jersey

Author:Chris Christie

“The lower animals, on the other hand, must have their bodily structure modified in order to survive under greatly changed conditions. They must be rendered stronger, or acquire more effective teeth or claws, in order to defend themselves from new enemies; or they must be reduced in size so as to escape detection and danger. When they migrate into a colder climate they must become clothed with thicker fur, or have their constitutions altered. If they fail to be thus modified, they will cease to exist.”

Source: The origin of species by means of natural selection: The descent of man and selection in relation to sex

“The deep inequalities that persist are visible reminders of the effects of apartheid and colonialism. Until these scars are healed, the vision of our Constitution will not have been achieved.”

Has Beens Vision Poverty Effects Constitution Inequality Visible Scar Colonialism Persist Reminders Healed Apartheid

Author:Kate O'Regan

“The American Constitution is remarkable for its simplicity; but it can only suffice a people habitually correct in their actions, and would be utterly inadequate to the wants of a different nation. Change the domestic habits of the Americans, their religious devotion, and their high respect for morality, and it will not be necessary to change a single letter in the Constitution in order to vary the whole form of their government.”

Source: Americans

“In recent years it has been suggested that the Second Amendment protects the "collective" right of states to maintain militias, while it does not protect the right of "the people" to keep and bear arms... If anyone entertained this notion in the period during which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the 18th century, for no known writing surviving from the period between 1787 and 1791 states such a thesis.”

“The Founding Fathers did not believe the primary purpose of their guns was to hunt ducks, but to keep the government in line within the bounds of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers said that armed citizens are a bulwark against a tyrant in the White House.”

Believe Said Government Purpose Father House Lines White Citizens Gun Constitution Bounds Primaries White House Tyrants Ducks Gun Control Founding Hunts Armed Citizens

Author:John Coleman

“Is it not the excess and greed of this and the neglect of all other things that revolutionizes this constitution too and prepares the way for the necessity of a dictatorship?”

Way Democracy Constitution Greed Neglect Excess Dictatorship

Book:The Republic

Source: The Republic

“For good nurture and education implant good constitutions.”

Education Constitution Nurture Implants

Book:Education: Ends and Means

Source: Education: Ends and Means

“From study of known normal brains we have learned that there is a certain range of variation. No two brains are exactly alike, and the greatest source of error in the assertions of Benedict and Lombroso has been the finding of this or that variation in a criminal's brains, and maintaining such to be characteristic of the 'criminal constitution,' unmindful of the fact that like variations of structure may and do exist in the brains of normal, moral persons.”

“The more I study it [the Constitution], the more I have come to admire it, realizing that no other document devised by the hand of man ever brought so much progress and happiness to humanity.”

Men Hands Humanity Realizing Study Progress Constitution Admire Presidential Documents

Book:The Quotable Calvin Coolidge: Sensible Words for a New Century

Source: The Quotable Calvin Coolidge: Sensible Words for a New Century

“Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution . .”

Important Next Individual Liberty Constitution Property Presidential Property Rights

Source: Popular Government: Its Essence, Its Permanence and Its Perils

“Thank God, under our Constitution there was no connection between Church and State, and that in my action as President of the United States I recognized no distinction of creeds in my appointments office.”

States Action President Church United United States Office Connections Constitution Separation Presidential Distinction Thank God Creeds Church And State Separation Of Church And State Appointments Separation Between Church And State

Author:James K. Polk

“And I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that under the American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts, this Center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar edifice of any other religion. Indeed, America would fight with her whole strength for your right to have here your own church and worship according to your own conscience. This concept is indeed a part of America, and without that concept we would be something else than what we are.”

“Whatever one's religion in his private life may be, for the officeholder, nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution and all its parts - including the First Amendment and the strict separation of church and state.”

Firsts May States Church Atheism Constitution Including Separation Presidential Amendments Strict Private Life First Amendment Church And State Oath Separation Of Church And State Precedence

Author:John F. Kennedy

“As you know, the separation of church and state is not subject to discussion or alteration. Under our Constitution no church or religion can be supported by the U.S. Government. We maintain freedom of religion so that an American can either worship in the church of his choice or choose to go to no church at all.”

Knows States Government Choices Church Subjects Worship Constitution Separation Presidential Discussion Church And State Separation Of Church And State Freedom Of Religion Alterations

Author:Richard M. Nixon

“Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race.”

Humans Important Next Individual Growth United Race Liberty Civilization Constitution Institutions Property Individuality Presidential Human Race Property Rights Personal Liberty

Source: Popular Government: Its Essence, Its Permanence and Its Perils

“The framers of the Constitution realized that . . . there needed to be some guardian of the sober second thought, and so they created the Senate to fulfill that high and vitally important duty.”

Important Political Duty Needed Constitution Senate Sober Guardian Second Thoughts Framers

Author:Elihu Root

“The framers of our Constitution understood the dangers of unbridled government surveillance. They knew that democracy could flourish only in spaces free from government snooping and interference, and they put restraints on government overreaching in the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights. . . . These protections require, at a minimum, a neutral arbiter - a magistrate - standing between the government's endless desire for information and the citizens' desires for privacy.”

“For the Humanist, . . . head and heart . . . must function together. . . . The constitution of the Phillips Exeter Academy reads: 'Though goodness without knowledge . . . is weak and feeble, yet knowledge without goodness is dangerous. . . . Both united form the noblest character and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind.'”

Heart Character Together Form United Mankind Dangerous Goodness Weak Function Constitution Foundation Lays Humanist Academy Usefulness Head And Heart Exeter

Author:Corliss Lamont

“Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. . . . We might as well require a man to wear the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain forever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.”

“Last year I was on Pat Robertson's show, and we discussed our basic Christian faith - for instance, separation of church and state. It's contrary to my beliefs to try to exalt Christianity as having some sort of preferential status in the United States. That violates the Constitution. I'm not in favor of mandatory prayer in school or of using public funds to finance religious education.”

“Even though we now have the half-century-old new Constitution, there is a popular sentiment of support for the old one that lives on in reality in some quarters.”

Reality Half Support Century Constitution Sentiments Quarters Sentimental

Author:Kenzaburo Oe

“One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.”

“Going around this country, I have found a great hunger in America for spiritual revival; for a belief that law must be based on a higher law; for a return to traditions and values that we once had. Our government, in its most sacred documents - the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and all - speak of man being created, of a Creator; that we're a nation under God.”

“The President, and government, will only control the militia when a part of them is in the actual service of the federal government, else, they are independent and not under the command of the president or the government. The states would control the militia, only when called out into the service of the state, and then the governor would be commander in chief where enumerated in the respective state constitution.”

States Government Would Be President Constitution Independent Command Chiefs Governors Federal Government Commanders Militia Commander In Chief

Author:Alexander Hamilton

“I shall make it my chief business to see that the [royal] executive power has its place in the constitution.”

Revolution Constitution Chiefs Executives Royal French Revolution Executive Power

Author:Honore Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau

“The revolution is the war of liberty against its enemies. The constitution is the rule of liberty against its enemies. The constitution is the rule of liberty when victorious and peaceable.”

War Liberty Enemy Revolution Constitution French Revolution

Author:Maximilien Robespierre

“The makers of our Constitution . . . conferred, as against the government, the right to be let alone - the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men.”

Men Government Liberty Rights Constitution Civilized Makers Comprehensive Liberty And Justice Supreme Court Justice Fourth Amendment Law Courts Controlling Government Legal Rights Laws And Government

Author:Louis D. Brandeis

“When the doctrine of allegiance to party can utterly up-end a man's moral constitution and make a temporary fool of him besides, what excuse are you going to offer for preaching it, teaching it, extending it, perpetuating it? Shall you say, the best good of the country demands allegiance to party? Shall you also say it demands that a man kick his truth and his conscience into the gutter, and become a mouthing lunatic, besides?”

“[the framers of the Constitution] intended our government should be a republic, which differs more widely from a democracy than a democracy from a despotism.”

Should Government Democracy Constitution Historical Republic Despotism Framers

Author:Fisher Ames

“It is clear that those constitutions which aim at the common good are right, as being in accord with absolute justice; while those which aim only at the good of the rulers are wrong.”

Political Justice Common Clear Constitution Absolutes Aim Rulers Accord Common Good

Author:Aristotle

“The right constitutions, three in number- kingship, aristocracy, and polity- and the deviations from these, likewise three in number - tyranny from kingship, oligarchy from aristocracy, democracy from polity.”

Political Three Numbers Democracy Constitution Tyranny Aristocracy Oligarchy Deviation Kingship

Author:Aristotle

“... the community suffers nothing very terrible if its cobblers are bad and become degenerate and pretentious; but if the Guardians of its laws and constitution, who alone have the opportunity to bring it good government and prosperity, become a mere sham, then clearly it is completely ruined.”

Ifs Government Law Political Suffering Opportunity Community Terrible Constitution Mere Prosperity Ruined Guardian Pretentious Degenerates Cobblers

Author:Plato

“As the British Constitution is the most subtle organism which has proceeded from progressive history, so the American Constitution is the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.”

Men Purpose Given Work Brain Wonderful Constitution Historical British Subtle Progressive Organisms Constitution Of The United States Us Constitution Constitutional Convention American Constitution British Constitution

Author:William E. Gladstone

“Generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you. But it doesn't say what the state or federal government must do on your behalf.”

States Government Liberty Negative Constitution Insightful Federal Government Behalf Charter

Author:Barack Obama

“Your Constitution is all sail and no anchor.”

Inspirational Funny Constitution Sail Sailing Anchors

Author:Thomas B. Macaulay

“Probably the worst thing that has happened in America in my time is the decay of confidence in the courts. No one can be sure any more that in a given case they will uphold the plainest mandate of the Constitution. On the contrary, everyone begins to be more or less convinced in advance that they won't. Judges are chosen not because they know the Constitution and are in favor of it, but precisely because they appear to be against it.”

Knows America Given Cases Happened Worst Judging Constitution Court Convinced Contrary Favors Chosen My Time Decay Worst Things Mandates

Book:Minority Report

Source: Minority Report

“The right to be let alone is the underlying principle of the Constitution's Bill of Rights.”

Principles Rights Constitution Bills Individualism Bill Of Rights

Author:Erwin Griswold

“Like a majority of Americans in recent years, I came to understand that fear of homosexuality was leading our governments ... to deny the equal rights to an entire segment of our population that are afforded all of us under the Constitution.”

Years Government Rights Equal Constitution Majority Population Deny Homosexuality Equal Rights

Author:Ronnie Musgrove

“There is no negro problem. The problem is whether the American people have loyalty enough, honor enough, patriotism enough, to live up to their own constitution”

People Enough Problem Honor Constitution Loyalty Black History Black History Month Black History Month Inspirational

Author:Frederick Douglass

“A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy. The press must be free from state interference. It must have the economic strength to stand up to the blandishments of government officials. It must have sufficient independence from vested interests to be bold and inquiring without fear or favour. It must enjoy the protection of the constitution, so that it can protect our rights as citizens.”

“The painter thinks in terms of form and color. The goal is not to be concerned with the reconstitution of an anecdotal fact, but with constitution of a pictorial fact.”

Thinking Facts Form Goal Term Color Concerned Constitution Painter Pictorial

Author:Georges Braque

“Why should I resign ... First of all, I am not guilty of any of these charges. Second, we have a constitution to follow.”

Should Firsts Constitution Guilty Should I Not Guilty

Author:Joseph Estrada

“We are witnessing a great awakening. Millions of Texans, millions of Americans are rising up to reclaim our country, to defend liberty and to restore the Constitution.”

Country Liberty Millions Constitution Awakening Our Country Rising Texan Rising Up

Author:Ted Cruz

“The president is the high priest of what sociologist Robert Bellah calls the 'American civil religion.' The president must invoke the name of God (though not Jesus), glorify America's heroes and history,quote its sacred texts (the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution), and perform the transubstantiation of pluribus unum.”

America Jesus Names President Hero Constitution Independence Sacred Priests Declaration Glorify Declaration Of Independence Invoke Sociologists Sacred Texts Transubstantiation

Book:The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

Source: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

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Constitution Quotes