Cato Quote

"Whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing Freedom of Speech... Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech..."

by:	Cato John Trenchard (1662-1723) & Thomas Gordon (169?-1750)
Source:	Letters, 1720
Rating:
Categories:	Constitution, Freedom, Liberty, Press, Speech, Tyranny, Wisdom
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If the First Amendment doesn't work, maybe the Second Amendment will...  -- J Carlton, Calgary      5
Freedom of Speech is paramount to the Liberty of a Nation but it must be practiced without retribution, either by government or society.  -- RobertSRQ      6
-- warren, olathe
It is not enough to have a right -- it must be exercised.  -- E Archer, NYC      6
The freedom of speech guaranteed by the bill of rights is only a guarantee from government interference. Society should be expected to hold people accountable for the idiocy they sometimes spew. Private business as well has no obligation to allow its employees freedom to say whatever they wish. The problem we have today is that government is enforcing speech codes by calling certain ideas "hate speech". This is a pernicious attempt by government to mold individuals' thoughts to some government approved politically correct code.  -- Ken, Allyn, WA      5
-- James Thompson, PENSACOLA, FL 32506
I'm not exactly sure how to rate this as, the focus is on nation, public, and otherwise a collective intangible. A nation's (conjectural inanimate) loss of liberty can only be addressed substantively and meaningfully through loss of the individual sovereign's loss of liberty. Public liberty is an illusionary abstract that can not be accurately addressed except through individual sovereign liberty. Freedom of speech not only includes free expression, allowed expression or denial of expression but also, what is available to express. By way of example, if the terms liberty or law (such as natural law vs. legal positivism, organic common vs. man's tyranny, etc.) are not tangibly or meaningfully understood in consistent terms and concepts, the freedom to express or freedom of speech is radically diminished. When the subject matter is couched solely in the collective abstract, a star rating here would have to be at a maximum of 3? ? ?  -- Mike, Norwalk      2
Liberty is so delicate because the fire in the heart of its protector is either born out of oppression and tyranny, or it is taught and never relinquished for any reason. Simply because, posterity will only know as much about liberty as they experience in their life. So when we give it up, we are not just giving it up for us, we are forever giving it up for our posterity. Even if our intention was to provide them opportunity to get it back, why would they feel the need to? It would be much easier for them to just live a little confined. Until the state controls our thoughts and movements, will that trend ever be seen again.  -- Cassidy, Atlantis      1
Confession, to the OATH to protect and defend, the Liberty and Freedom of the sovereign unprivileged individual requires knowledge of the "sound doctrine", the underpinning, "understanding", the foundation upon which the Republic Rest assured. Homologoumenos, (without controversy) the right to declare openly by  way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep convictions of fact.  Chophshiy liberty, economic, freedom from bondage and tax, at your pleasure, without care. Eleutheria liberty, physical, manumission from slavery, purchased by God a freed man or woman. never to be enslaved again.  Apeleutheros liberty, spiritual, freed from the current religious orthodoxy, being granted access to the presence of God a freed man or woman. nondenominational.   -- Ronw13, Oregon      1
It's absolute — there is no other rhetoric.   -- Robert Edwards, Vero Beach
-- Mary, MI
Tell this to the nitwits at universities who don't want to hear anything other than leftist nonsense.  -- jim k, Austin
Those that enable the preservation of a progressive nation must be responsible.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown

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