"It has been said that the greatest threat to our liberty is from well-meaning, and almost imperceptible encroachments upon our personal freedom."
by:
John Louis Coffey
(1922- ) Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Source:
Quilici v. Village of Morton Grove, 695 F.2d 261, 272 (1982) (dissent) cert. denied 464 U.S. 863 (1983).
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Here not shooting the messenger, the sentiment is accurate far more often than not. Such socialist progressives as Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench the assassign, mean well by destroying freedom, liberty, political systems based on law, inalienable rights, prosperity, personal sovereignty, private commerce, and responsibility related to personal integrity.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Mike said it well. The last sentence, "personal integrity" was instilled in our generation long ago, once one has it, it stays. No man, no government, can take honor away from us. In these times of darkness, before the storm, let it be said, that many of us never let go of our principals, to the end. it takes great strenght, to stand against such lies they perpatrate. This social engeneering,they attempt, will never work. For each time, the free rise again. Although saddened from these times, weary, from the unending battle, the resolve of free men, will win in the end. many have staked thier very lives on it.
     -- kimo, USA     
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    Mike said it well. The last sentence, "personal integrity" was instilled in our generation long ago, once one has it, it stays. No man, no government, can take honor away from us. In these times of darkness, before the storm, let it be said, that many of us never let go of our principals, to the end. it takes great strenght, to stand against such lies they perpatrate. This social engeneering,they attempt, will never work. For each time, the free rise again. Although saddened from these times, weary, from the unending battle, the resolve of free men, will win in the end. many have staked thier very lives on it.
     -- kimo, USA     
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    "well-meaning" my ass! Otherwise, an excellent quotation.
     -- Byron, Fort Collins     
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    You're right about that Byron. There's always a hidden agenda...and so called "unintended consequences". Man is generally at his best when left to invent, create and produce without Government intervention.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    A really lousy quote. Lots of things have been said but that does not make them true. The Judge here is only stating that something has been said by somebody, somewhere, at some time. He has stated no opinion of his own upon what was said. Pure BS! People who allow such statements as this to influence them or pull their strings are giving up there personal freedom and liberty.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Mike what evidence do you have that Barack has done any of the things you stated.
     -- Waffler     
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    Do your own homework Waffler and quit behaving like a lazy child having a tantrum. You lazy indoctrinated statists are the cancer that is killing the greatest nation in history and you want people to show you what YOU are doing? get real tax boy...
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    J and Mike like these bombastic shallow quotes and they have a man in the Presidential race that will, I am sure pull their strings. He has been offered a million dollars to get out and let a thinking man take on Mr. Obama. Like I said J I really don't see that you and Mike are really free to think. You are mental captives to some kind of BS!
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Waffler, just for a couple; the illegal way the secured bond holders were kicked out of the government induced GM bankruptcy and, how the union was implanted into ownership (if a worker has a legitimate complaint against management, where does he now go to have an unprejudiced ear to redress his grievances ?). The cradle to grave debt that each individual owes by way of mere existence (a tax on life) to the slave master (occupying statist theocracy infesting this land) that shall force a reduction in health care quality and quantity, is another thing he has done (or at least implemented with help). I can make a list of Executive Orders but I'll let you look that up, it will help you remember - or not ;-) Where in Article I Section 8 is Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench the assassin allowed, authorized or empowered to do that? (exactly !) I do have to admit, he and his family do party and vacation well (at We The People's expense) while Amerika is devastated under his Keynesian economic policies.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Waffler, I could also add all the unconstitutional, non-Congressional declared wars as evidence as to what I stated. BUT, as to the mental captive thing; that which is BS ! to you, is: freedom, liberty, individual inalienable rights, the moral prerogative to act without a needed privilege grant for the performance of an otherwise illegal act (such as marriage), no usurping arbitrary rules, individual sovereignty, respect for law, justice and the nobility of life, allodial ownership of property, and government being the servant / not the master. For such, I willingly stand convicted, I am a heart and mind captive thereto.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    And Waffler comes through again, right on time, proving he is completely nuts.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    "Attention all passengers, for your own safety, please bend over, this is for your own protection. Thank you." Eventually it will just become a rite of passage to be groped and felt up by strangers -- I suppose wearing a uniform and a side-arm makes it OK. If the present day America was described in History class back in the 70s, it would be classified as a militaristic fascist hegemony -- now it is just assumed to be the way it was always supposed to be forever. Saving the world from themselves for their own good...
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    An 'imperceptible encrachment' can never be well meaning nor the 'doer' whatever be the context.
     -- vedapushpa, Bangalore     
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    Great quote. Look to D.C. for proof.
     -- jim k, Austin, Tx     
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    The greatest threat to your liberty was and is your own ill behavior, my fiendish acquaintance. Socialism is the challenge of socialized behavior to create.


     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, in repeating a god of your's mantra  ("a lie told often enough becomes the truth" (Vladimir Lenin)), does not make it so. Socialism is a destructive challenge to individual sovereignty, inalienable rights, liberty, nature's law, prosperity, humanity's nobility and man's happiness. Socialism is a religion that creates pain, suffering, poverty, mental illness, hate, anger, death and a degradation of everything it touches. ALL Socialism's denominations (communism, fascism, wokeism, etc.) have proven — over, and over, and over again that, each and every application of Socialism is a miserable failure.
     -- Mike,, Norwalk     
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    I witness individuals with no capacity to love, romance, to feel sensitivity, empathize,  sympathize, seemingly no socially positive qualities at all. Just not human. Humans don't find you, don't fornicate with you, and don't forget you. Humans are empathetic, kind, they sympathize, sensitive, romantic, loving. Socialism is the challenge of socialized behavior to create. 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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