"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can
any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is
preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant,
and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own
weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders."
by:
Samuel Adams
(1722-1803), was known as the "Father of the American Revolution."
Source:
letter to James Warren, 4 November 1775. Reference: Our Sacred Honor, Bennett (261)
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Reader comments about this quote:
"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." Benjamin Franklin
 -- Anon     
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    One of my favorite founders. A wise observation indeed and it is happening before our very eyes.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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     -- jim k, austin      
    Is it really necessary for the progressives (short for professional regressives) to drag the rest of us down with them? We tried to leave this sinking ship once, and they pulled us back in.
     -- Justin, Elkland     
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    WOW, but that I could rate this a thousand times. Good statements all. I do not believe that America has yet been sufficiently dummied down or fraught with immoralities that a remnant will not yet rise and throw off the statist theocracy's chains set by the foreign invaders and, the domestic universally ignorant debauched in their manners.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Yes, we definitely seem to be going along that road. Mike I did answer your last post re Aug 14th sorry for the delay I have been building a wall.
     -- RBESRQ     
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    I see the ignorance daily. In my local bar an acquaintance said to me "the US is a republic not a democracy", Yesterday in Gatlinburg, Tenn. a hotel counter man said to me, "the US is a republic but we elect our government by the democratic method", he then went on to pick an argument with or look down upon the old fashioned term Commonwealth, as in Virginia Commonwealth or Pennsylvania Commonwealth, or the British Commonwealth of Nations. He wondered "what is a commonwealth". I explained that it is just another word for "state". Just as many New Enlgand and English towns use the term "the commons" to refer to the village square the term Commonwealth relates to the property (roads, dams. parks, buildings, infrastructure, land) belonging to the people as a whole, held in common. How is it that grown folk in this country have become so ignorant of common sense and common terminology. I am attempting on this site and in all of my contacts to counter this ignorance and debauched way of thinking. Yours for the diffusion of knowledge and the preservation of virtue, I remain, forever yours da Waffler.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Which is why each of us should spend time furthering the foundational principles of Liberty -- just say no to arbitrary authority!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    What's wrong with the definition of this being a country that democratically elects its representates? Well for one, we don't elect our presidents in this manner. They are elected by an electoral college ( thank God) rather than by the popular vote. I say thank God, because, with the exception of this last disgraceful election, the popular vote is nothing more than a popularity contest. Today, the level of ignorance (lack of education) in our country is appalling and to rely on such mass ignorance to elect our president would be a travesty. Apparently, the Electoral College is not immune. When I look at Congress today, I am certain that the highest level of ignorance has reached that august body as well. And until we do something about the federal indoctrination of our kids, we have no hope of saving this country from the evils of socialism.
     -- GunnyCee, Durham     
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    Waffler, perhaps you transposed "republic' and "democracy"? After all, the pledge of allegiance is "..to the Republic for which it stands.." And Article IV of the US Constitution says "The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government." And Benjamin Franklin called it a "Republic" after the constitutional convention. You might also check the dictionary. But don't feel bad- our own politicians (and myself in the past) refer to it as "democracy".....
     -- Jonathan Baker, Tyler, Texas     
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    i think it is great
     -- lapeka, dallas     
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     -- Mary - MI      
    " Evil communications corrupt good manners", honest communications preserve virtue. Knowledge diffused through rightly dividing, brings forth Mercy and Truth, the discernment of good and evil through a democratic process. Mercy and truth bears fruit of Liberty and Freedom. "That which has been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; God requireth that which is past."
     -- Ronw13, OR     
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    Fascist lefties are willing to surrender Our Liberties, and they are anything but tame in their militant refusal to engage in MAGA. Crooked lefties scoff at alternate Truths not diffused by their lying MSM, and now they outright ridicule all traditional American virtues. The democrat plantation keeps them blind and ignorant, and rotten MSM has them debauched to a biblically illustrated degree (hello Sodom and Gemorrah) - and wearing this satanic weight around their necks like a badge of progression, Our lefties attempt to drag what's left of America down the cesspool with them.

    Waffler's post is ludicrous on its face - that is NO COUNTER, such dishonest Orwellian newspeak is PART OF THE CROOKED LEFTY DEBAUCHERY.
     -- Mark W, Aurora, CO     
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    Virtue will ever be the palladium of human Liberty.
     -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill     
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    Waffler, though your here comments are close to accurate, it has been your constant erroneous illusions of what a democracy is, how the 2nd plank of the communist manifesto has done anything but enslaved a once noble people and the immoralities of a carnal socialism have enhanced virtue that your comment has received all the thumbs down.

     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- jim k, Austin      
    Who remembers Rep. Hank Johnson debating in 2010 the exact size of Guam for a full minute with a military commander before concluding that it is "a small island, revealing his fear that more U.S. troops would cause Guam to "tip over" and sink into the ocean.
    The best part of hearing Johnson say, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize," is hearing the commander try to explain why it's probably -- no, definitely -- not going to happen.
    And that's a member of our Congress!!!!!!
     -- Vivian Gude, Miami, Florida     
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