Famous Quotations / Quotes
Famous Quotes about Liberty
 
Click on the name to open the full quote and the details about the quote's origin. Quotes are also grouped by Category and Author.  
 
Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure.
-- William Saroyan		 
I know, both by reason and by experience, that if you ever need a gun, whether in Katmandu or Los Angeles, at that moment you will have never needed anything so badly in your life.
-- Carmine Sarracino		 
The poet must be free to love or hate as the spirit moves him, free to change, free to be a chameleon, free to be an enfant terrible. He must above all never worry about this effect on other people.
-- May Sarton		 
Man is condemned to be free. Condemned because he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment he is thrown into this world he is responsible for everything he does.
-- Jean-Paul Sartre		 
Man is condemned to be free.
-- Jean-Paul Sartre		 
Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.
-- Jean-Paul Sartre		 
If politicians don't respect the law, why should citizens respect politicians?
-- Debra Saunders		 
About all a Federal Reserve note can legally do is wipe out one debt and replace it with itself another debt, a note that promises nothing. If anything's been paid, the payment occurs only in the minds of the parties...
-- Tupper Saussy		 
Most people are willing to pay more to be amused than to be educated.
-- Robert C. Savage		 
When the People contend for their Liberty, they seldom get anything by their Victory but new masters. Power is so apt to be insolent and Liberty to be saucy, that they are very seldom upon good Terms.
-- George Savile		 
Wherever a Knave is not punished, an honest Man is laugh'd at.
-- George Savile		 
Do you wish to be free? Then above all things, love God, love your neighbor, love one another, love the common weal; then you will have true liberty.
-- Girolamo Savonarola		 
Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made.
-- John Godfrey Saxe		 
Alas, how many have been persecuted for the wrong of having been right?
-- Jean-Baptiste Say		 
Laissez-nous faire, laissez-nous passer. Le monde va de lui meme. (Let us do, leave us alone. The world runs by itself.)
-- French Saying		 
[T]he enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table.... Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
Nowhere else in the Constitution does a 'right' attributed to 'the people' refer to anything other than an individual right. What is more, in all six other provisions of the Constitution that mention 'the people,' the term unambiguously refers to all members of the political community, not an unspecified subset... The Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms... The very text of the Second Amendment implicitly recognizes the pre-existence of the right and declares only that it ‘shall not be infringed.'
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
In the eyes of government we are just one race here. It is American.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
There is nothing new in the realization that the Constitution sometimes insulates the criminality of a few in order to protect the privacy of us all.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
As long as judges tinker with the Constitution to ‘do what the people want,’ instead of what the document actually commands, politicians who pick and confirm new federal judges will naturally want only those who agree with them politically.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
The virtue of a democratic system with a [constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech] is that it readily enables the people, over time, to be persuaded that what they took for granted is not so, and to change their laws accordingly.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
The Declaration of Independence, however, is not a legal prescription conferring powers upon the courts; and the Constitution's refusal to "deny or disparage" other rights is far removed from affirming any one of them, and even farther removed from authorizing judges to identify what they might be, and to enforce the judges' list against laws duly enacted by the people.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
We know of no other enumerated constitutional right whose core protection has been subjected to a freestanding ‘interest-balancing’ approach. The very enumeration of the right takes out of the hands of government -- even the Third Branch of Government -- the power to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the right is really worth insisting upon. A constitutional guarantee subject to future judges’ assessments of its usefulness is no constitutional guarantee at all. Constitutional rights are enshrined with the scope they were understood to have when the people adopted them, whether or not future legislatures or (yes) even future judges think that scope too broad... Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
The basic problem is simply that the Congress has become professionalized. It has interest much higher than ever existed before in remaining in office. It has a bureaucracy that is serving it. It is much more subject to the power of individualized pressure groups as opposed to the unorganized feelings of the majority of the citizens.
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
In Torcaso v. Watkins, (1961), we did indeed refer to ‘secular humanism’ as a ‘religion.'
-- Justice Antonin Scalia		 
If we can ever make red tape nutritional, we can feed the world.
-- Robert Schaeberle		 
No one understood better than Stalin that the true object of propaganda is neither to convince nor even to persuade, but to produce a uniform pattern of public utterance in which the first trace of unorthodox thought immediately reveals itself as a jarring dissonance.
-- Leonard Schapiro		 
Surely a large part of the zealous repression of radical protest in America has its roots in the fact that millions of men who are apparently “insiders” know how vulnerable the system is because they know how ambiguous their own attachments to it are. The slightest challenge exposes the fragile foundations of legitimacy of the state.
-- John Scharr		 

-- E Schaub		 
The Truth is not a thing. It is alive. It cannot be grasped. It is spoken.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Life is but a blink, and it matters.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Americans find it intolerable that one constitutional right should have to be surrendered in order to assert another. America is the land of the free and home of the brave -- we don't need a Patriot Act, because we are already patriots. We know freedom means responsibility, but I am not sure Congress and its domestic enforcement agencies do. More often than not, new security measures enacted by the government have resulted in more violations of the citizenry than terrorists have ever done. The terrorists want us to be afraid -- well, we are not afraid. Stop wasting dollars on this program -- it is not good for America. To give up essential liberty for a little security provides neither. The right to be left alone from government intrusion is the beginning of all freedoms.
-- Eric Schaub		 
It's worth what it's worth when it's worth it.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Speak honestly, and the truth will make itself known.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Freedom is risky. Nature makes no promises.
-- Eric Schaub		 
I cannot free another, and no one can free me. Freedom is acquired with the responsibility that sustains it.
-- Eric Schaub		 
If you want to know the big 'T' Truth, tell the little 't' truth without fail. Then listen closely to what you say.
-- Eric Schaub		 
A seeker of truth is no stranger to controversy.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Some mistakes cannot be redeemed but by forgiveness.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Truth need only be spoken.
-- Eric Schaub		 
When it comes to freedom, we are but prisoners of our own desires.
-- Eric Schaub		 
The more I truly learn, I realize the less I truly know.
-- Eric Schaub		 
We are the living. There are those that have preceded us, and there are those that will follow us, but we are here now.. The river flows, we are but a drop, and it matters...
-- Eric Schaub		 
Remember, the sky starts at your feet.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Freedom has never been free. Sometimes it costs everything you've got.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Standing up to a tyrant has always been illegal and dangerous. There is no guarantee but one -- to not live like a slave, nor to die like one.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Among the mighty are those who recognize beauty as power, and power as beautiful.
-- Eric Schaub		 
It takes two wings to fly.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Every party skews the facts to their advantage, and inevitably, the minority party must resort to telling the truth.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Can we truly expect those who aim to exploit us to be trusted to educate us?
-- Eric Schaub		 
There is no Freedom without Courage.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Life is a gift. Freedom is a responsibility.
-- Eric Schaub		 
By a Declaration, Liberty is born. With Courage she is nourished, and with unceasing Commitment she is guarded.
-- Eric Schaub		 
The truth is more important than its teller.
-- Eric Schaub		 
The process of liberation is continuous.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Some truths need to be learned from the inside.
-- Eric Schaub		 
I am not free until I say so. And there's a good chance I am going to have to fight once I do. Ever since I declared my Independence, I have had to support and defend it.
-- Eric Schaub		 
The truth doesn't sell. It is high in supply, but low in demand.
-- Eric Schaub		 
Our inalienable rights cannot shield us from our own follies.
-- Eric Schaub		 
The 'strength' of the People becomes weak when we don't 'exercise' our rights.
-- Eric Schaub		 
A juror who is forced by the judge’s instructions to convict a defendant whose conduct he applauds or at the least feels is justifiable, will lose respect for the legal system. . . . A juror compelled to decide against his own judgment will rebel at the system that made him a traitor to himself.
-- Alan W. Scheflin		 
True education makes for inequality; the inequality of individuality, the inequality of success; the glorious inequality of talent, of genius; for inequality, not mediocrity, individual superiority, not standardization, is the measure of the progress of the world.
-- Felix Emmanuel Schelling		 
True education makes for inequality; the inequality of individuality, the inequality of success, the glorious inequality of talent, of genius; for inequality, not mediocrity, individual superiority, not standardization, is the measure of the progress of the world.
-- Felix E. Schelling		 
If you want irresponsible politicians to spend less, you must give them less to spend.
-- Irwin Schiff		 
Families would be in better shape if our tax code didn’t push married mothers who wish to raise their own children into the labor force, in large part to pay for a welfare state that encourages unskilled, unmarried teenagers to bear illegitimate children the rest of us must support.
-- Lisa Schiffen		 
No, there is a limit to the tyrant's power! \\ When the oppressed man finds no justice, \\ When the burden grows unbearable, he appeals \\ With fearless heart to Heaven, \\ And thence brings down his everlasting rights, \\ Which there abide, inalienably his, \\ And indestructible as stars themselves. \\ The primal state of nature reappears, \\ Wherein man confronts his fellow man; \\ And if all other means shall fail his need, \\ One last resort remains—his own good sword. \\ The dearest of our goods we may defend From violence. \\ We stand before our country, \\ We stand before our wives, before our children!\\
-- Friedrich Schiller		 
For most Americans the Constitution had become a hazy document, cited like the Bible on ceremonial occasions but forgotten in the daily transactions of life.
-- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.		 
Righteousness is easy in retrospect.
-- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.		 
Those who are convinced they have a monopoly on The Truth always feel that they are only saving the world when they slaughter the heretics.
-- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.		 
Liberalism regards all absolutes with profound skepticism, including both moral imperatives and final solutions... Insistence upon any particular solution is the mark of an ideologue...
-- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.		 
Integrity is its own reward.
-- Dr. Laura Schlessinger		 
The Declaration of Independence...is not a legal prescription conferring powers upon the courts; and the Constitution's refusal to 'deny or disparage' other rights is far removed from affirming any one of them, and even farther removed from authorizing judges to identify what they might be, and to enforce the judges' list against laws duly enacted by the people.
-- Dr. Laura Schlessinger		 
Privacy is absolutely essential to maintaining a free society. The idea that is at the foundation of the notion of privacy is that the citizen is not the tool or instrument of government – but the reverse… If you have no privacy, it will tend to follow that you have no political freedom…
-- Benno C. Schmidt		 
The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on our campuses. The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and to liberate the mind….Attitudes on campuses often presage tendencies in the larger society. If that is so with respect to freedom of expression, the erosion of principle we have seen throughout our society in recent years may be only the beginning…
-- Benno C. Schmidt		 
Decriminalization would take the profit out of drugs and greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the drug-related violence that is currently plaguing our streets.
-- Kurt L. Schmoke		 


Daily Quotes
Ready to be inspired?
Sign up for a daily dose of Liberty Quotes!
Leave us your email address to subscribe.
Email:

Here's the Daily Quote history.

Browse quotes by
Authors, Categories,
and Cryptograms!



The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
A classic since 1953 with over 20,000 quotes from over 3,000 authors.


Famous Last Words
Apt Observations, Pleas, Curses, Benedictions, Sour Notes, Bons Mots, and Insights from People on the Brink of Departure


Stretch Your Wings
Famous Black Quotations for the Young


American Quotations
An exhaustive collection of profound quotes from the founding fathers, presidents, statesmen, scientists, constitutions, court decisions


The Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations


Last Words of Saints and Sinners
700 Final Quotes from the Famous, the Infamous, and the Inspiring Figures of History


America's God and Country: Encyclopedia of Quotations
Contains over 2,100 profound quotations from founding fathers, presidents, constitutions, court decisions and more


The Law
This 1850 classic is an absolute must read for anyone interested in law, justice, truth, or liberty. A most compelling and revolutionary look at The Law.


Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature (17th Edition)


The Stupidest Things Ever Said by Politicians
Rise up, America -- and laugh out loud at the greatest gaffes that no spin doctor could possibly fix!


The 776 Even Stupider Things Ever Said
Another great collection of stupidity


Quotable Quotes
Wit and Wisdom for All Occasions from America's Most Popular Magazine


The Most Brilliant Thoughts of All Time
You don't have to be a genius to sound like one. Here's a collection of the most profound and provocative wit and wisdom in the English language in two lines or less.


2,715 One-Line Quotations for Speakers, Writers & Raconteurs
Invaluable sampler of witticisms, epigrams, sayings, bon mots, platitudes and insights chosen for their brevity and pithiness.


Phillips' Book of Great Thoughts Funny Sayings
A stupendous collection of quotes, quips, epigrams, witticisms, and humorous comments for personal enjoyment and ready reference.


Quick Quips and Quotes; 532 Things I Wish I Had Said
Quick Quips and Quotes is the Ultimate Collection of one liners.


Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes
The ultimate anthology of anecdotes, now revised with over 700 new entries.


Quotations for Public Speakers
A Historical, Literary, and Political Anthology


Liberty - The American Revolution
This compelling series traces the events leading up to the war and America's fight for freedom.


Founding Fathers
The story of how these disparate characters fomented rebellion in the colonies, formed the Continental Congress, fought the Revolutionary War, and wrote the Constitution


Libertarianism: A Primer
David Boaz, director of the Cato Institute, has written a simple introduction to Libertarianism inteneded to appeal to disgruntled Democrats and Republicans everywhere.


The Libertarian Reader
Classic and Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman


Thomas Paine: Collected Writings
All the classics: Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters


(c) Copyright 1999-2025