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Liberty Quotes

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Liberty Quotes

“We ought to be very cautious in the prosecution of magic and heresy. The attempt to put down these two crimes may be extremely perilous to liberty, and may be the origin of a number of petty acts of tyranny if the legislator be not on his guard; for as such an accusation does not bear directly on the overt acts of a citizen, but refers to the idea we entertain of his character.”

“Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates in all future periods of this commonwealth to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“[You have Rights] antecedent to all earthly governments: Rights, that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights, derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.”

Humans Government Law Universe Liberty Rights Legislators Right To Bear Arms Bearing Arms Constitutional Rights

Book:The Works of John Adams Vol. 3: Autobiography, Diary, Notes of a Debate in the Senate, Essays

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 3: Autobiography, Diary, Notes of a Debate in the Senate, Essays

“Whenever legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any further obedience.”

Source: Two Treatises of Government: With a Supplement, Patriarcha, by Robert Filmer

“And thus the community perpetually retains a supreme power of saving themselves from the attempts and designs of anybody, even of their legislators, whenever they shall be so foolish, or so wicked, as to lay and carry on designs against the liberties and properties of the subject.”

Community Liberty Subjects Design Lays Property Foolish Supreme Saving Wicked Legislators Supreme Power

Book:The Second Treatise on Civil Government

Source: The Second Treatise on Civil Government

“It is easy to understand why the law is used by the legislator to destroy in varying degrees among the rest of the people, their personal independence by slavery, their liberty by oppression, and their property by plunder. This is done for the benefit of the person who makes the law, and in proportion to the power that he holds.”

People Persons Done Law Used Easy Liberty Degrees Benefits Independence Slavery Property Oppression Proportion Legislators Plunder Personal Independence

Author:Frederic Bastiat

“The minute you use the drugs, and you do something that interferes with the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness of the guy next door, you're a criminal, and you ought to be punished for that especially if you're in a position where your actions could affect large numbers of people. Being a doctor, a legislator, a judge, an airline pilot, where somebody's life depends on you.”