Alan Barth Quote 

"Thought that is silenced is always rebellious.
Majorities, of course, are often mistaken.
This is why the silencing of minorities is necessarily dangerous.
Criticism and dissent are the indispensable antidote to major delusions."

by:
Alan Barth
(1906-1979) served on the editorial board of The Washington Post for thirty years
Source:
The Loyalty of Free Men, 1951
Categories:
 
Bookmark and Share

Reader comments about this quote:
yep
 -- warren, olathe		 
A case in point, how many read in their local papers or saw/heard on their local/national tv/radios about the thousands that marched on federal bldgs and the Federal Reserve for a sound Constitutional currency just a few weeks ago? hmm a silenced minority, hmmm
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Apparently not silenced since you heard it Mike; ignoring something and silencing something are not the same thing. Being ignored or persecuted does not translate into being correct. Being silenced does not translate into being correct only translate into a loss of freedom.
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
I would think a people in the thousands marching on their government in protest would be a bit more newsworthy than somebody throwing a shoe at the president. Ignoring them is effectively silencing them.
 -- Anon		 
Those profiting from deluding the people will not use their own communications networks to expose the delusion. Waffler simply demonstrates his willful ignorance -- if he were as open-minded as he claims, he would not be so quick to dismiss something he obviously knows nothing about.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
People in the thousands does not well correlate to a population of 300 million very well. The larger group cannot pay attention to every group of 1000 people but I agree that they should not be silenced. The ignore concept I refer to is one of hearing but paying little heed. I know a lot of things, I even talk about stuff sometimes. Does it appear Archer is either ignoring, dismissing me or trying to silence me?
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
Waffler, the number was actually in the tens of thousands that were involved nationwide; far more than the gay out day (just for perspective). With the financial crisis as bad as it is in the US right now - and getting worse - affecting everyone, you'd think someone would be interested in so many (if even just one thousand) protesting the core of the fiat problem.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
We will always be ruled by the main stream, Mike. I strongly support and invited all voices but tens of thousands is still a small number. Do you mean 10,000 or 99,000. There is a big difference between the two. You latch on to the fringe like Ron Paul. Being a minority and to perceive that you are not listened to or our persecuted does not make you correct. If being ignored and persecuted means that you are correct then the Jews are the most correct minority of all time.
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
Bookmark and Share
Rate this quote!
How many stars?
0
1
2
3
4
5
 
What do YOU think?
Your name:
Your town:
    CLICK JUST ONCE!

  
Get a Quote-A-Day! Free!
Liberty Quotes sent to your mail box.
Email:
 
This site is supported
by donors like you!

More Quotations

Read the Bills Act Coalition
Quotes & Quotations - Send This Quote to a Friend

© 1998-2008 Liberty-Tree.ca