"When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans ... And so a lot of people say there's too much personal freedom. When personal freedom's being abused, you have to move to limit it. That's what we did in the announcement I made last weekend on the public housing projects, about how we're going to have weapon sweeps and more things like that to try to make people safer in their communities."
by:
Bill Clinton
[William Jefferson Blythe III] (1946- ), 42nd US President
Source:
4/19/94, MTV's "Enough is Enough"
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=49995
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Anonymous      
The Constitution protects rights "endowed by our creator". I guess God is a "radical">
 -- jim, tahlequah     
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    Contrary to Klinton-speak, the Bill of Rights did not confer ANY rights -- it specifically reserved them as inherent to the People -- as well as many other rights not enumerated. The People need to remember that their Rights are theirs first and were never 'granted' by the government, the Constitution, or any body. Freedom is not given to the People -- they already have it; however, it must be defended, and the Bill of Rights specifically identifies this right as something the government cannot 'abridge'.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Everything breaths including the Bill of Rights and the Bible - nothing is for ever... Bill's quote may not have been the best chioces of words but the thought is good.
     -- Robert, Sarasota     
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    Robert, what are you doing that needs to be limited? What are you doing that will get you arrested? Do you own any weapons? Bill's quote is an example of a police state, where you may only do what the government allows. Bill's quote should scare the hell out of you.
     -- Joe, Rochester, MI     
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    I like Bill, but damn this is a stupid quote!
     -- Anonymous     
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    Poorly choosen words for a sane concept... after all our founders did not even consider their slaves and women folks as "people" and thus would never have let them have weapons... read the words in their proper historical perspective and they take on whole new meanings that show how they do not apply as so many today would have us believe they do.
     -- Anonymous, reston, VA     
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    matter is eternal, law is eternal, God is eternal, The temporary breathing 'Bill' and his good buddy 'Torchem Reno' should be tried for treason (this quote being used at his trial) and as a conclusion to his trial, Bill's rights should be taken away for ever. In a 'Representative Republic', such as was created by the subject radical founders, it was recognized that each individual was King (Caesar), with each and every, any and all rights being inalienable; and because the created could not become greater than the creator (the individual Kings not being able to give their servant representatives that which they did not possess - namely right or ability to take sovereign inalienable rights away) the inferior representatives (not having ANY inherent right of their own, but duty only) could not take from their masters any rights. Only in a Democratic Oligarchy, where the servant representative represents some-one or thing other than the sovereign united individuals, "We The People", can rights be taken away from the King.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    That quote scares me a lot more than any weapon.
     -- Mike, Mount Holly, NC     
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    In another quote, Clinton himself says plainly that we have too much freedom, and that it should be curtailed. Personally, I think Clinton's freedom should be curtailed, behind bars. He was the president with more criminal connections and actions than any other. He is a traitor. And if he gets his wish, to become secretary general of the UN, we will all regret it very much.
     -- David L Rosenthal     
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     -- P.M., KS      
    How really sad is the fact that only two out of 11 replies exhibit any real understanding of this quote.
     -- Dick, Fort Worth     
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    "If the personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution inhibit the government's ability to govern the people, we should look to limit those guarantees." William Jefferson Clinton, August 12, 1993.................................. "We can't be so fixated on our desire to preserve the rights of ordinary Americans . . . . " - William Jefferson Clinton, USA Today, March 11, 1993................................. "You know the one thing that's wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to have their fair say." -William Jefferson Clinton 5/29/93.....................................Yeah, poor old Bill is just misunderstood. Fortunately most of us understand him all too well.
     -- Ken, Allyn, WA     
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    Ken, well said, I love that
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Goodness!! Ever notice how it is the liberals...those warm, fuzzy, "we are with you" types that are the first to say you have no inherent worth or rights... Maybe they just don't like idea that God endowed them....(pssst--you are not God no matter what microwave version of pantheism you ascribe to.)
     -- Michael, Houston, TX     
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    Sorry...accidentially hit the stars...NOT!!! Yuk!!!!
     -- Michael, Houston, TX     
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    what the.... why doesnt he start by castrating himself. You dont try to limit freedom instead one must protect it.
     -- Alex T., Knoxville TN.     
  •  
     -- Anonymous      
    Clinton is a treasonous piece of crap.
     -- Ebog, Schlabogan     
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    Very clear and simple...
     -- Dita, New York     
  •  
    Mere pandering. This man who himself practiced licentiousness, who was a libertine would limit liberty, ostensibly to preserve it.
     -- John Anderson, Tacoma     
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    I must assume Bill believes what he says. For the continuing health of our republic, we should trace the sources of this collection of poisonous beliefs and be sure that all who aspire to public service in the U.S.A. and who have walked a similar path as Bill, be examined carefully for their suitability for public office. Where did Bill go off track - Arkansas? Georgetown U.? Oxford? Council for Foreign Relations? White House? Wherever, he was unsuitable to hold office in this country. His beliefs effectively prevented him from upholding and defending the U.S. Constitution.
     -- Bill, Bismarck     
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    what an idiot
     -- anonymous     
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    If Clinton believed that the Constitution and Bill of Rights were radical documents he should never have run for President. The President's job is to run the country based on the belief of its founding fathers.....not change it. What an idiot......I guess he smoked one too many "cigars".
     -- Anonymous, Richmond     
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    i cannot believe we voted him into the white house.
     -- eric, tonka     
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     -- Anonymous      
    Should have kept the cigar in his mouth and Monica in his pants . Scary quote.
     -- Chuck, NC     
  •  
     -- Anonymous      
    I still cant figure out how that controlling lunatic actually made it all the way into the white house. We are definitely struggling with ignorance, but the sad part is that so many of our people claim they believe he is a good man. What on earth are they planning to achieve? Is there some hidden selfish agenda that conservatives dont know about?
     -- Richi, Sacramento     
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    I think Robert from Sarasota is a dildo
     -- Kim, Richmond, TX     
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    It's bullshit. Look up what he really said.
     -- Notawingnut, Gainesville     
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    We understand Dick from Fort Worth. Clinton is a statist. He's the radical who needs limiting, not the US or the Bill of Rights.
     -- Anonymous     
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    Both Bill and his husband Hillary are plain white southern trash. She was Sol Alyinski's best student. Neither have the morals of an alley cat. I see no reason that either deserve any respect what-so-ever for either of their philosophies.
     -- George, San Diego     
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     -- Bethany, Iowa, USA      
    that he is a pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppippppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
     -- anya, bryan     
  •  
    Removing a person's ability to defebnd themselves, their families, their community and their nation is as immoral as it gets and does NOTHING to make ANYONE any safer. It is a ploy of dictators throughout history to attain total power over individuals and has no place in a free society. Screw Billary.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    I like his quotes. they are very helpful
     -- dennis lee, howell MI     
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    The way he said it and approached it violates everything American that our founding fathers put in place.
     -- Paul, Justin, TX     
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    Just part of his twisted morality
     -- jim dixon, Florida     
  •  
    Clinton is a good example of corruption, greed, and tyranny that exists in our government today.
    So,, why have "we the people", not obeyed our duty to our constitution? Overthrow the tyrannical , greed driven jerks, and replace Big government, with constitutionalists?
    I stand ready. Rd'Starnes
     -- Doree Starnes, Coeurdalene     
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