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Rights Quotes

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Rights Quotes

“Many instances of persecution and killing have occurred in countries with atrocious human rights records such as Sri Lanka, Guatemala and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Humans Country Records Rights Democratic Killing Human Rights Instance Republic Persecution Congo Sri Lanka Guatemala Democratic Republic

Author:David Suzuki

“In many instances the conduct of colored workmen, and those who have spoken for them, has not been in asking or demanding that equal rights be accorded to them as to white workmen, but somehow conveying the idea that they are to be petted and coddled and given special consideration and special privilege. Of course that can't be done.”

Ideas Done Courses Given White Rights Special Equal Asking Privilege Instance Consideration Equal Rights Workmen Conveying

Author:Samuel Gompers

“You may twist the word freedom as long as you please, but at last it comes to quiet enjoyment of your own property, or it comes to nothing. Why do men want any of those things that are called political rights and privileges? Why do they, for instance, want to vote at elections for members of parliament? Oh! Because they shall then have an influence over the conduct of those members. And of what use is that? Oh! Then they will prevent the members from doing wrong.”

Source: A History of the Protestant Reformation in England and Ireland

“No country has a perfect report card. While some countries have strong points in specific areas, they may have serious lacunae in other areas. For instance, some countries have made enormous progress on civil and political rights, but lag in the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights.”

May Made Country Political Strong Social Perfect Rights Progress Economic Serious Areas Enormous Cards Instance Reports Implementation Lag Political Rights Report Cards

Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas

“People are beginning to become disturbingly comfortable with a kind of official hypocrisy. Bizarrely, for instance, we've become numb to the idea that rights aren't absolute but are enjoyed on a kind of sliding scale.”

People Kind Ideas Rights Comfortable Absolutes Scales Instance Enjoyed Officials Hypocrisy Numb

Book:The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap

Source: The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap

“How to check these unconstitutional invasions of rights by the Federal judiciary? Not by impeachment in the first instance, but by a strong protestation of both houses of Congress that such and such doctrines advanced by the Supreme Court are contrary to the Constitution; and if afterwards they relapse into the same heresies, impeach and set the whole adrift. For what was the government divided into three branches, but that each should watch over the others and oppose their usurpations?”

“The declaration of rights [Bill of Rights] is, like all other human blessings, alloyed with some inconveniences and not accomplishing fully its object. But the good in this instance vastly outweighs the evil.”

Humans Evil Rights Objects Blessing Bills Instance Declaration Bill Of Rights Inconvenience

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“Obama's failure to close Guantanamo is yet another instance where the rhetoric of democratic and constitutional rights proved not useful for his international relations, relations which are always pursued in ways that continue to link and fortify securitarian power with the opening of new markets.”

Way Rights Relation Democratic International Opening Instance Links Rhetoric Pursued International Relations Constitutional Rights Guantanamo

Author:Judith Butler

“It's something fundamental to me, human rights that people are equal under law simply because they are human beings. And I can no more imagine falling in love with someone who believed, for instance, as Orthodox Jews do, that women are unclean during their menstrual periods.”

People Humans I Can Law Fall Human Beings Rights Imagine Periods Equal Fundamentals Falling In Love Human Rights Jew Instance Orthodox

Author:Susan Jacoby