Solon Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"We can have justice whenever those who have not been injured
by injustice are as outraged by it as those who have been."

by:	Solon (c.638 BC-558 BC) Athenian statesman, lawmaker, Lyric poet, renowned as a founding father of the Athenian polis, one of the Seven Sages of Greece
Date:	594 B.C.
Source:	when asked how social justice could be achieved in Athens
Rating:
Categories:	Apathy, Conscience, Dissent, Ethics, Justice, Oppression, Persecution, Wisdom
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Reader comments about this quote:

One of those, "well, yeah, of course" kind of quotes... But I agree; apathy is a leading killer of liberty and freedom, especially when it's apathy towards the infringement of another's rights. -- Logan, Memphis, TN
Are not those uninjured folks the so-called "bleeding hearts". Most people don't care if an issue does not effect them personally. That is why we need the "bleeding hearts", cops and a justice system that does. -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas
This is a nice sentiment knowing that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed BUT, examples of the exceptions are: When the vast majority of the whole accepts slavery as freedom - individual sovereignty being lost; and, the injured by injustice becomes numbed sufficiently as to accept compelled compliance, license, governmental larceny, victimless crimes, suspension of habeas corpus, etc. as just, outrage is then poured out upon those that would choose to embrace Creator endowed rights and justice. -- Mike, Norwalk
-- Anonymous, Reston, VA US
You don't even know what a "bleeding heart" is. Sad. -- warren, olathe
It goes on every day and we do nothing - here is another example of socializing our losses while we privatize our profits: Government to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - and who owns the most bonds to the tune of 325 billion? THE CHINESE OF COURSE... It's amazing, when the banking institutions cry bleeding hearts the fed comes to their rescue but, when the individual cries for help they are thrown a meager bone called stimulus check. Perhaps like they are indicting the Sudanese government for crimes against humanity we could do the same here. We have in America today Politicians and CEO’s committing crimes without any recourse – when will enough be enough???????????? -- RobertSRQ
Bleeding hearts and crocodile tears can usually be found in the same person. Why has government worked so hard to create a dependency society? It is all about control. Eliminating the individual's sense of responsibility and duty goes hand in hand with the dependency. When people no longer consider it their duty to defend their neighbor from injustice, an unjust government can do whatever it wants. Why do so many "liberals" want the rest of us disarmed? To create dependency and to take away our sense of duty to defend justice. It is not that they just want us disarmed physically, they must have us disarmed spiritually and mentally as well. -- Ken, Allyn, WA
Ken citizen disarmament started in the wild, wild west when they made guys either leave their guns at the sherriffs office or at least outside of the saloon. Where the hell did our common sense go? Was that about control, yes absolutely it was, and very much needed control they thought. They glad to get federal marshalls, Wyatt Earp etcetera. Sometimes we need to be thankful for control and not be so childish, dissembling, and traitorious about accepting it. -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas
Citizen disarmament was as wrong then as it is now. Owning and carrying a gun is a great responsibility, and only the responsible should exercise that right. I would encourage everyone to be responsible. Lack of responsibility and a sense of duty leads to childish behavior, which leads to more irresponsibility. Denying people their rights for their own good never seems to work out (at least for the People). People can say horrible, destructive words. Should we then cut out everyone's tongues? -- Ken, Allyn, WA
When you are a sycophant, ass-kisser, bootlicker, goody-goddy, rarely will you see the detrimental effects -- in fact, you may receive privileged treatment which would normally be your natural born right. Cowards did not win the war against tyranny, and cowards cannot defend it now. God forbid the world ever be ruled by bleeding hearts, cops, and judges -- I cannot think of a better definition of fascism. -- E Archer, NYC
Cowards are the natural born killers who stand yards away from their adversary and shoot them with a gun rather than going mano a mano with them. Yeah well as we know or at least as the movies tell us too many in the west were not responsible. You know we are sunk in this country, nation, republic and democracy when we call the cops and judges the definition of fascism. -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas
Gentelman, Solon was one of the wisest men who ever lived. In his day he was viewed as the wisest man alive and thought to have been the wisest ever born to the human family. He was hailed before Kings just to hear him speak, and he thrilled them wherever he went. Please reread his words and think about them deeply. There is NOTHING here to argue about. Peace Profound -- Ken, Milford Pa
Waffler, I have to agree with your last comment here. "we are sunk in this country, nation, republic and democracy when we call the cops and judges the definition of fascism." I am aware of hospital wards that were for, among other things, police brutality victims (of course that couldn't happen today, not politically correct you know). It is now the rule, not the exception to ignore rules of civil and criminal procedure (the black priesthood robed judge being god in his court room), to incarcerate without cause if so desired, to change the official court transcripts if beneficial, to allow or promote selective lying. I was once able to beat every traffic citation on Constitutional grounds. I filed 11 motions (each one that I had won with previously) in my last court appearance and the judge denied all of them because he said it would be too expensive to hear. We now have justice by the credit. The biggest travesty here is, the slaves don't even comprehend the despotic injustice that they live under or suffer from. -- Mike, Norwalk
so be positive for once in your liberty-tree experience. What would you do? Do you know how many police jursidictions exist in the 50 states. Have you never heard that guilt by association is an unacceptable mentality. So quit calling "law enforcement and Judging" fascism because there have been some bad experiences. -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas
We do need to defend ourselves and our neighbors from ANY aggressor. For that we need to be armed. Gun Control is about "control" its not about "guns". An educated, affluent, armed society is difficult to control...ergo: the education system, taxation and "gun control". -- J Carlton, Calgary
If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbors. There is no other. ~Carl Schurz ~ -- J Carlton, Calgary
Anything's possible if you believe. What are you waiting for? Intention sees to it that you achieve. What are you waiting for? Depending how much WILL you apply, determines whether your dreams live or die. You'll never know 'till you give it a try. What Are You Waiting For? What Are You Waiting For? -- Kevin Shearer, NY State
-- Anonymous
-- jim k, austin

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