Henry David Thoreau Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"Under a government which imprisons unjustly,
the true place for a just man is also a prison."

by:	Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist
Source:	On the Duty of Civil Disobedience [1849], available at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/71/71-h/71-h.htm
Rating:
Categories:	Disobedience, Justice, Police, Prison, Statism, Tyranny
	Tweet

Reader comments about this quote:

Under a government that cannot justly imprison true criminals to protect society where does the just man need to reside? -- Robert, Knoxville, Tn
Is Gitmo an unjust prison? Most of the detainees were defending their country, just as we would. -- Joe, Rochester, MI
We have indeed lost our way... who will stand for you when they come for you? -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
Thoreau was a man of vision and substance.His writings beckon us to think on a different level.We sure could use more people like him in the 21st century. -- KS., Somewhere,USA.
I didn't know flying airplanes into the World Trade towers was defending your country. Seems we have forgotten many detainees at GITMO originated from Afghanistan and were associated with Bin Laden. -- Robert, Knoxville
Bravo, Thoreau. -- Anonymous
How long do you think until you and I are in "gitmo"? We may be labeled "terrorists" simply for reading from this web page. With the "Patriot" act in tow, gov't thugs can put us into any prison they choose on a whim. I'm sure I'll see you soon. -- Shawn Mcgraw, Akron, Oh in Balad, Iraq