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Government Quotes

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Government Quotes

“Let me start with Yahoo. As we meet today, a Chinese citizen who had the courage to speak his mind on the Internet is in prison because Yahoo chose to share his name and address with the Chinese Government.”

Mind Government Today Names Speak Share Internet Citizens Let Me Prison Chinese Addresses Chinese Government

Author:Tom Lantos

“Compelling a man by law to pay his money to elect candidates or advocate law or doctrines he is against differs only in degree, if at all, from compelling him by law to speak for a candidate, a party, or a cause he is against. The very reason for the First Amendment is to make the people of this country free to think, speak, write and worship as they wish, not as the Government commands.”

People Ifs Thinking Men Writing Firsts Country Reason Government Law Speak Wish Causes Party Pay Liberty Degrees Worship Doctrine Command Candidates Amendments Compelling First Amendment

Author:Hugo Black

“The very reason for the First Amendment is to make the people of this country free to think, speak, write and worship as they wish, not as the Government commands.”

People Thinking Writing Firsts Country Reason Government Speak Wish Liberty Worship Command Amendments First Amendment

Author:Hugo Black

“We who advocate peace are becoming an irrelevance when we speak peace. The government speaks rubber bullets, live bullets, tear gas, police dogs, detention, and death.”

Government Speak Dog Tears Becoming Police Gas Bullets Rubber Detention Irrelevance

Author:Desmond Tutu

“The stations of uncensored expression are closing down; the lights are going out; but there is still time for those to whom freedom and parliamentary government mean something, to consult together. Let me, then, speak in truth and earnestness while time remains.”

Mean Stills Light Government Together Speak Expression Let Me Remains Stations Going Out Closing Earnestness Parliamentary Closing Down Parliamentary Government

Book:Never Give In!: Winston Churchill's Speeches

Source: Never Give In!: Winston Churchill's Speeches

“The Framers of the First Amendment were not concerned with preventing government from abridging their freedom to speak about crops and cockfighting, or with protecting the expressive activity of topless dancers, which of late has found some shelter under the First Amendment. Rather, the Framers cherished unabridged freedom of political communication.”

Source: With a Happy Eye, But...: America and the World, 1997--2002

“Among a people without fellow-feeling, especially if they read and speak different languages, the united public opinion, necessary to the working of the representative government, cannot exist.”

People Ifs Different Feelings Government Speak Language United Opinion Fellows Representatives Public Opinion Different Languages Representative Government Fellow Feeling

Book:Considerations on Representative Government

Source: Considerations on Representative Government

“I have the highest veneration of those Gentleman, -- but, Sir, give me leave to demand, what right had they to say, We, the People? My political curiosity, exclusive of my anxious solicitude for the public welfare, leads me to ask who authorized them to speak the language of, We, the People, instead of We, the States? States are the characteristics, and the soul of the confederation. If the States be not the agents of this compact, it must be one of great consolidated National Government of the people of all the States.”

“Of Captain Elliot, already so well known to the government, it would be almost superfluous to speak; in this action, he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgment; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance.”

Wells Government Would Be Able Action Speak Given Known Essentials Judgment Bravery Characteristics Captains Well Known Assistance Superfluous

Book:A review of a pamphlet purporting to be Documents in relation to the differences which subsisted between the late Commodore Oliver H. Perry, and Captain Jesse D. Elliott

Source: A review of a pamphlet purporting to be Documents in relation to the differences which subsisted between the late Commodore Oliver H. Perry, and Captain Jesse D. Elliott

“It might be crazy to expect a high government official to speak the truth. It might be crazy to believe that government policy will be something more than the handmaiden of the most powerful interests. It might be crazy to argue that we should preserve a tradition that has been part of our tradition for most of our history -- free culture. If this is crazy, then let there be more crazies. Soon.”

Source: Free Culture

“Way down deep the American people are afraid of an entangling relationship between formal religions - or whole bodies of religious belief - and government. Apart from constitutional law and religious doctrine, there is a sense that tells us it's wrong to presume to speak for God or to claim God's sanction of our particular legislation and his rejection of all other positions. Most of us are offended when we see religion being trivialized by its appearance in political throw-away pamphlets.”

“What astonishing changes a few years are capable of producing! I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical form of government without horror. From thinking proceeds speaking, thence to acting is often but a single step. But how irrevocable and tremendous! What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and falacious! Would to God that wise measures may be taken in time to avert the consequences we have but too much reason to apprehend.”

“Private property is held sacred in all good governments, and particularly in our own. Yet shall the fear of invading it prevent a general from marching his army over a cornfield or burning a house which protects the enemy? A thousand other instances might be cited to show that laws must sometimes be silent when necessity speaks.”

Sometimes Shows Government Might Law House Speak Enemy Thousand Protect Army Sacred Property Silent Instance Burning Private Property Invading

Author:Andrew Jackson

“The government does not need to know more about what we are doing. We need to know more about what the government is doing. We should be thankful for individuals like Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald who see injustice being carried out by their own government and speak out, despite the risk. They have done a great service to the American people by exposing the truth about what our government is doing in secret.”

People Knows Needs Should Doe Done Government Individual Speak Secret Risk Injustice Despite Being Thankful Speaks Out Nsa Exposing Great Service Snowden

Author:Ron Paul

“There is nothing so inconvenient in this world as an absolutely truthful person, who can both speak and write, and has the courage of his convictions. One can always arrange matters with liars ... But with the man or woman who holds truth dearer than life, and honor more valuable than advancement, there is nothing to be done, now that governments cannot insist on the hemlock-cure, as in the case of Socrates.”

Men World Writing Persons Matter Done Government Truth Speak Cases This World He Man Honor Conviction Valuable Cures Liars Truthful Advancement Inconvenient Hemlock

Author:Marie Corelli

“The actions of my government are not bearable. They devastate our natural resources and deprive our people. The politicians speak piously while practicing greed and divisiveness; they care nothing for the nation. I want to do more than withdraw my support. I want to tar and feather them.”

People Want Government Care Action Speak Nations Natural Support Politician Resources Greed Feathers Natural Resources Bearable Divisiveness

Author:Donella Meadows

“Everything we did was done in form and with propriety, and the result of our proceedings is the document [the Quebec Resolutions] that has been submitted to the imperial government as well as to this house and which we speak of here as a treaty. And that there may be no doubt about our position in regard to that document we say, question it you may, reject it you may, or accept it you may, but alter it you may not.”

Wells May Has Beens Done Government Form House Speak Results Accepting Doubt Position Regard No Doubt Rejects Resolution Documents Treaties Proceeding Propriety Quebec

Author:Thomas D'Arcy McGee