John Biggs, Jr. Quote 

"Let us revise our views
and work from the premise
that all laws should be
for the welfare of society
as a whole and not directed
at the punishment of sins."

by:
John Biggs, Jr.
(1895-1979) former Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1945-65)
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Reader comments about this quote:
This kind of thinking is one of the causes that brings down a free nation. Socialism preached from government on high.
 -- Anon		 
Quite possibly the worst quote on "Liberty" I have ever heard. Seriously people do you THINK about these things before you post them? Laws are not about welfare of society, nor should the intent of government be so. Laws are precisely to punish those who sin against society. Good Lord people - if you don't get this you have no business calling yourself "Liberty Tree". You are on double-secret probation with me. One more worthless anti-liberty quote out of you and I'm gone. No sense wasting time with people who don't understand liberty!
 -- Bob Densic, Rossford, Ohio		 
Thanks Bob! "...laws should be for the welfare of society as a whole..." sounds double plus ungood to me, too. Laws should only exist in as far as they protect the equal, reactive defense of each individual's negative rights to life, liberty and property.
 -- Bryan Morton, Stuart, Florida		 
aah yes, the collectivist thought, replete with its processes and procedures in eliminating the Constitution with its founding principles. Bob, you missed the point. The point is: the judge knew what he was doing when he made the evil doer a theocracy punishing sins, diverting the argument away from a nation who's jurisprudence was based on natural law (you spend more than you have = bankrupt; take that which is not yours = theft, jump of a cliff = fall, etc.). Once eliminating the true state of affairs, the judge can establish the argument's parameters. It is much easier to beat up on the new enemy, socialism becoming more palatable and defendable. Truth can not be part of the argument on either side, only alluded to, to justify the new despotism. Once the truth has been eliminated, the concept of substantive freedom removed from consciousness, the re-defining of legalisms has been applied to new despotic standards, a new foe is firmly put into place so real liberty is not part of the argument, that which was (truth, freedom, liberty, etc.) is no more.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
I don't see this as a quote to promote "welfare" as we think of welfare today. Even our Constitution has the term "to promote the general welfare". Of course our politicians use this as an excuse to dole out money to every non working person they can dig up. There is a law against running red traffic lights which are definitely for the welfare of some one entering the light on green.
 -- jim k		 
Gee, all the guy said was that laws ought to be about how to address things that actually affect others, and not about victimless acts... given that laws are artifacts of society, it should not be unreasonable for them to be addressing making society better. Some times I think half the folks here can't read... all that most seemed to see in the above quote were the two words "welfare" and "sin"... stop, slow down, read all of the words and the breadth of their meaning.
 -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US		 
The least one could do is learn the definition of welfare. Reston said it best.
 -- Dick, Fort Worth		 
I don't get the thumbs-downers today. Government is essentially evil and corrupt -- the last thing you want is for laws to be created for punishing unbelievers who hurt no one. Mike, what about all the victimless-crimes rhetoric?
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
Wow! I'm with you Archer - laws should be based on our welfare not those that commit crimes.
 -- RBESRQ		 
Idealistic and visionary... I like it and agree with it. (Also, this quote clearly isn't about socialism or the welfare system- it's about the betterment of society in general, not checks sent in the mail).
 -- Anonymous		 
 -- Anonymous 
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