"A people are free in proportion as they form their own opinions."
by:
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(1772-1834) English poet, critic, philosopher, and a leader of the British Romantic movement
Source:
The Watchman, 1796
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Reader comments about this quote:
Freedom is the liberty to act on your opinions without interference from the government, not simply think or say what you want.
 -- Joe, Rochester, MI     
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    Not a well thought-out statement, Samuel. Or perhaps he led a very sheltered life.
     -- David L. Rosenthal , Hollywood     
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    But with missionaries (both religious and secular), politicians, and the media that they pay, most of what we think is our own opinion has been 'taught' to us by those that intend to live off our backs.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Not sure how to rate this. Maybe 5 stars as Archer explains. Socialist slavery (both religious and secular) in most Amerikan's opinion is freedom. Such opinion is intolerant of other opinions - that would also rate a 5 star rating. My desire for a lawful (at nature - or natural law and justice) existence, is in my measured / experienced opinion, incompatible with a socialist's religious / secular freedom. That equates to a thumb's down.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Coleridge falls short on many of his "formed opinions" not based in fact but rather fancy. He was addicted to opium his entire life. He was a cherry picker theologian. 
     -- Ronw13, Oregon     
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    Most opinions are formed from available data (as is more often than not antithetical to a pure knowledge of truth) Concept censorship of inalienable rights, liberty, the laws of nature and of nature's God and the nobility of the specie hides freedom so as to have an opinion thereof impossible.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    In other words, the more you understand the more freedoms you enjoy.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, a question; if you submit to the despotism and tyranny of government licenses (being a crime against humanity) while understanding the system, how does that make you more free (according to your kingly vision)?
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Sorry, Mike, I have removed all of this 'diatribe'  not a dialogue.  Sillik, apology not accepted.
     -- Editor, Liberty Quotes     
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    Please don't ask Fred questions he can't understand,  He merely re-posts the same comments  often 2 or 3 times to correct his posts.  And then it's just ad hominem fallacies. 

    I would LOVE an actual dialogue of ideas not personas.  I still am a truth-seeker  even in my golden years  but I have less patience for a loud mouth spewing MSM programming with no intention of mutual understanding.  The Uni-Party is not here to learn, they are here to dominate.

    Mike, Fred is going to need to take smaller bites if you want him to understand anything  give him a child's portion, one spoonful at a time.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    ;-) ;-) :-) Editor, You know I'm laughing uncontrollably while shaking my lowered head. The water coming from my eye and wetting my self means I'm either getting older or I'm sad ;-) ;-) ;-). Thank You  for all your many years of unparalleled diligence, labor and integrity.  Even while considering the god Sillik, you are a rare individual.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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