John Adams Quote 

"Be not intimidated...
nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties
by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency.
These, as they are often used, are but three different names
for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice."

by:
John Adams
(1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President
Date:
1765
Categories:
 
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Annette, Los Angeles 
Especially applicable today, when attempts to point out that the emperor has no clothes are met with the response, "Shut up. Your comments offend me".
 -- S. Engel, Fredericksburg		 
This should be the rallying cry of all who are concerned about the continual erosion of our rights and the decay of the moral fiber of this country.
 -- Greg Walton, Eustis, FL		 
Damn straight, there's no room in a free federal constitutional republic for ass kissing. God bless America, and May Windsor be cast to hell!
 -- Gölök Z. L. F. Buday, Vancouver, BC(SU), USoEh!(USoA)		 
I agree with Greg here. Decency's check box is still blank, and so is that of politeness! The moralists are the ones who are actually "rebelling" instead of the so-called "hip/cool" people. May those words ring out forever in the "rebelling" moralist! Even as an 11-year-old, I feel deep in my heart that this has to be made public once and for all.
 -- Tatiana , Loudoun County, VA, USA		 
I live it every day espescially in Christianity politeness is evil most of the time
 -- Anonymous, orangeville ontario		 
Intimidating pretenses that implement and support political correctness, the welfare state, forced charity, victimless crimes, compelled compliance, and mandatory insurance, vain claimed by way of delicacy and decency, are but a few of the liberty robbing hypocrisies, chicanery and cowardice that prove the quote absolutely correct.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
Politeness, delicacy, decency are generally considered to be good qualities. Beware of the phonies who cannot look you straight in the eye.
 -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas		 
The primary reason for wheedling us out of our liberties is 'security' and the technique is through fear-mongering. Courage is still the most necessary of all human virtues. With courage, we do not need the 'protection' of the state at the expense of our own responsibilities. The nanny-state has to go -- and there will be a lot of cry-babies who long for the teat of statism -- too bad, let them cry and learn to take care of themselves like they are supposed to.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
Today the government's wheedling is the Patriot Act
 -- RobertSRQ		 
No it is political correctness from the fascist left, not the wimpy Patriot Act. He is clearly talking about the thought police. If he were talking about things like the patriot act he would be referring to giving up freedoms in exchange for security. It is one thing to loose some liberty because of the need to defend against the acts of tyrants, but something else to just give them up to avoid a stern word or look from someone that seeks to control you.
 -- warren, olathe		 
Tatiana and Mike - right on.
 -- warren, olathe		 
I don't know what the extent of the PC problem is in America but in Europe it is so much worse, Xenophobia is actually a crime in the EU and because of the setting up of a common jurisdiction we in Britain are now subject to it. I don't know what you call that other than injustice.
 -- Matthew, Kettering		 
I don't believe this is a John Adams quote. What is the source?
 -- Bob Gingrich, Overland Park		 
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