"He who would be free must strike the first blow."
by:
Frederick Douglass
[Frederick Baily] (1818-1895), escaped slave, Abolitionist, author, editor of the North Star and later the New National Era
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If he is already a slave. If one is free and they know what freedom consists of defense is the order of the day when the slaver first attempts to make a slave out of one.
 -- Anon     
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    Rights are inalienable. The freedom to express those rights may be suppressed. Until another threatens to destroy personal freedom by any means of right(s) suppression, there is no need to strike; thus confrontation in the name of freedom is a defensive measure. ... "accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." Striking a blow for freedom is noble once threatened.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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     -- Anonymous      
    Freedom can only be achieved through defense of ones rights, not through the initiation of force. Striking the first blow makes one the aggressor, not the victim.
     -- Uthar Pendragon, Camalot     
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    True freedom (that which relates to no financial encumbrance and allows the freedom to pursue your own happiness) only arrives when we no longer contrive to survive. When we no longer feel threaten by religion, government, and the majority. Only then can ignorance and intolerance be put behind us. We have a long way to go and the ONLY road we must travel is called SELF (detachment). So, where do we start, definitely not by striking the first blow; we start by looking inward and striking the blow in our hearts and minds; clearing our thoughts from aggression, hate, and greed. "No man is free who is not master of himself" Epictetus
     -- RBESRQ     
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    Declaring your freedom from those that lay claim to you IS striking a blow. Drawing a line in the sand IS striking a blow. Yes, and then you defend yourself against those that say 'you have no right'. Power never conceded to anything except power. We must declare our freedom to be already so, then prepare to fight those that disagree. We can strike a first blow by defying unlawful statues, by withholding our financial support for unlawful programs and bureaus, by riding these guys out on a rail tarred and feathered. But let there be no mistake, there will be no freedom without having to fight for it -- all of us individually must take our stand -- freedom is never given back, it is taken back,
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Archer, I don't think Gandhi would agree with your supposition. Now that we have given more power to the fed, more money for the military complex, less financial regulation on Wall Street and corporate America - So, Archer, get the tar out and let me see you march down the street with your feathers. Tell me how are we to strike the first blow? Rhetoric is only powerful when it reflects action.
     -- RBESRQ     
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    Gandhi's success was non-violent non-cooperation with evil -- he never called it pacifism, it was activism. In the case of America, the solution is and always has been in the hands of Americans. What if the only battle you had to fight was to never borrow? What if all we had to do to tear down this system was pay off all debts or simply refuse to use funny money? This would be a tremendous blow to the real rulers. And when enough people understood its strength and the ramifications, it will be like Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat. The power is in our hands -- the same reasons we do not exercise it are the same reasons we let our government ruin us. I'll leave the tar and feathering to those who are so inclined. ;-)
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Archer, good response - it's semantics. I don't like the words strike and blow in the same sentence, there is a feeling of violence when you say 'strike the first blow'. It's that 'shoot first and ask questions later' mentality that is unacceptable.
     -- RBESRQ     
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     -- Allen, DC      
    The first blow, To stand strong, in ones resolve, to withhold support of the request. To Stand fast in the Liberty. For those who have lived this life, we know the ramifications of our actions, isolation, singled out by the Fed. It is a free choice, not to be made lightly. Money is the root. By force socialism was instituted. It is easier for the individual to commit to the cause, than with family in tow. Not everyone has the strength to rebel and stand strong. look around, the cost is high, when materialism is all people can see. Run fast and get ahead of the ball, before retirement, is the mentality socialism instills. It is a fleeting cause for the poor. That is why they cling to the welfare. No surety of hearth and home. For the poor the only surety of independence is the ability to work, and drive the rig till the wheels fall off. Barrowing dulls the hand of independence. In concert ( If ) the state and fed are not paid their tribute for hearth and home, then the unified blow is struck. Archer is right on point, the power is in the peoples hands. It takes guts !!
     -- Ronw13, Yachats Or     
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    Robert, you may not like the fact that violence may be required to defend Liberty, but history proves it undeniable. Slavery in its many forms IS violence against the free man. I suppose then that the 'first blow' is actually in response to the violence against him, so it's not really the first blow. But suffice it to say that when one becomes aware of his oppression, he must initiate some form of action in order to break free.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    I'm a victim to mind control I live in Bloomfield NM one of Farmingtons NM's slaves 12 years I've been tortured by my community, Hollywood,and our government I've done my research on mass Murder and now I know that this is the leading cause. How ever a lot of Hollywood does listen and they do try to help while others are caught up in this so called game. It's just like trading places with Eddie Murphy these rich people play with other peoples lives. Now they invade and control with the new technology, they have come along way in the last two or three years. I blame the people I used to work with because the oilfield was our way of life. Common sense kept us alive it also taught us things others never will learn and when they brought these people in some they forced, some needed money, others have been hurting for years. That's when our free will went away. Look out America because this is now the New America the media is talking about. Please Help where you can and God Bless
     -- David DeHerrera, Bloomfield NM     
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