"The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities."
by:
Ayn Rand
[Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum] (1905-1982) Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Mike, Norwalk      
The exact opposite of the "progressive's" hive mentality. I like it.
 -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Right on, Ayn.
     -- jim k, Austin, Tx     
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    She was brilliant.
     -- Cal, Lewisville, TX     
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    Each day we continue to lose a little bit more of our individual freedom.
     -- Ken, spokane     
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    Yes, yes a thousand times "Yes!"
     -- Mary - MI     
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    The only "collective right" I'm in favor of... the right of the individual to be left alone!
     -- Matthew, People's Republik of Kalifornia     
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    An individual in solitary has the freedom of the cell, but has no rights and no Liberty. Freedom is different than Liberty. Oh, we have a "free" country alright...
     -- Michael Murray, Las Vegas, NV     
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    On this I agree 100% 
     -- Robert Edwards, somewhere in the USA     
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     -- Ronw13, OR      
    Each day the Progressive Liberal Democrats get stronger the more Freedom and Liberty we lose. 
     -- Ken, Spokane     
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    Absolutely!  This is the very premise of the American ideal.  It all begins with the Rights of Man, inherent at birth, and unalienable.  In any voluntary association people enter into, they give up no rights, nor can they grant themselves rights.  The purpose of their association is for their mutual protection  should the association assume powers not agreed to, the members have no obligation to obey and can leave the association or disband it altogether. 

    A county's statutes apply only to the county that agreed to them  they cannot dictate to other counties or states.  The individual is the true sovereign and comes in an infinite number of combinations of race, sex, age, abilities, size, knowledge, religion, tastes, desires, etc.. 

    All ideas are individual, all acts are individual, all choices are individual.  The attempt to group people into political classes in order to oppress a minority is pure statism, supremacy of the state.  It is individualism vs statism (not right vs. left).
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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