"Since when have we Americans been expected to bow submissively
to authority and speak with awe and reverence to those who represent us?"
by:
Justice William O. Douglas
(1898-1980), U. S. Supreme Court Justice
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Reader comments about this quote:
Here, not shooting the messenger. The answer: since the foreign despots took on inherent rights aloof from the once individual sovereign under threat, duress, and fear of being politically incorrect in the omniscient / omnipotent theocratic oligarchy. AND, since there is no one to lawfully represent the people; there are only representatives of the subject oligarchy.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Yeah since when? Never has happened. On the other hand even while criticizing we owe people in positions the respect the office requires. Respect the office and criticize the individual till you can throw the bum out. That is the American Way. I think Americans should be respectfully people of each other and authoirity. After all we are the Authority!
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    We are become increasingly expected to bow as servants to the masters that are elected to supposedly represent us. We should always be respectful but that does not mean awe/reverence which implies divinity. Our heritage is to allow respectful disagreement with human authority. But is that going to be allowed to continue in the US?
     -- DAB, Mancos     
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    It may be even more true today with Obama & Co. as it was with Bush & Co.. And who can deny the practically religious fervor of the Obamanites and the media darlings kissing his ring in anticipation of his special dispensations? The worship of statism is replacing the honor and responsibilities of self-reliance. People will eventually hate it as they have come to hate hypocritical and repressive religious organizations. There is little distinction between the recently proposed National Service Program and missionaries. Building the 'Church of the State' with 'Power as Divine' is in effect crowning the devil as the Emperor-Pope of the world.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Waff , read your next to last sentence and tell me what it means.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    Just between 2001.01.20 and 2009.01.20... glad that's over!
     -- Anonymous, Reston, VA, US     
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    Good eye Jim good I. I should have left the ly off.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Since last November.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    Waffler, FYI. In expressing the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God, the nobility of life / man is a primary principle at which all administrations of law and justice are based. Each individual sovereign should in all ways be respectful of/to the innocent / guilty, individual sovereign / governmental servant, man / woman, citizen / foreigner, friend / foe, etc. No office in a de jure Republic, such as once was the US, requires respect; only the administration of the Laws of Nature, as are harmoniously defined through codes, rules, statutes, etc.,require respect and obedience. "Governments are the servants, not the masters of the people." (Thomas Jefferson) The individual servant is greater than any office held. The respect is to the individual for his / her service performed, not to the office. The office itself is an inanimate concept due nothing except honesty, integrity, fulfilment of job description, etc. by the individual that fills such position. The most fundamental of all precepts bringing this nation into existence was that all individuals are equal with no office, king or otherwise, being equal to, or greater than the individual. To reverence or respect an office (for the offices' sake only, being more than just a mere job description) is to create a title of nobility. Once titles of nobility are eliminated from the individual's psyche concerning government, freedom and liberty will once again begin to be known in the land.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    I wish we could resurrect this man and he could tell Bush and other current politicians a thing or two.
     -- leslie, aransas pass     
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    Do Justice in America still Prevail? I wish in the last 6yrs. I been in America I can say and feel that " I am in America" like America that I know before I came over here in America, I hope one day I can say " I am in America" the America that got justice and a friendly and respectable people. if you have question about what i am trying to say you can reach me at my e-mail address: lesiquez@cresilda at yahoo.com
     -- Cresilda, MO     
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    Mike, excellent distinctions made between the individual and an office!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Irreproachably judicious words that were not followed by correspondingly judicious official deeds, lamentably.
     -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill     
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     -- jim k, austin      
     
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