“For the gods perceive things in the future, ordinary people things in the present, but the wise perceive things about to happen.” – Philostratus (c. 170/172 – 247/250), called “the Athenian”, a Greek philosopher of the Roman imperial period
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31 (KJV)
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” – Isaiah 49:15-16 (KJV)
“The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” President John F. Kennedy
“There’s no greater service to this country than the defense of its freedom.” – Barry Goldwater
“I have thought that a man of tolerable abilities may work great changes if he first forms a good plan and makes the execution of that same plan his whole study and business.” – Benjamin Franklin
“No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country.” – Alexis de Tocqueville
“If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely.” – Seth Godin
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” – Matthew 23:37-39 (KJV)
“O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” Isaiah 40:9-10 (KJV)
“In my opinion, any adult human – and most children past a certain degree of maturity – ought to carry a knife. Otherwise you’re just a chimp with a haircut.” – Tamara K. in a comment to a post in The Adventures of Roberta X. blog
“A society that puts equality … ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom.” – Milton Friedman
“As the world’s finest democracy, we do not do guillotines. But there are other less bloody rituals of humiliation, designed to reassure the populace that order is restored, the Republic cleansed.” – William Greider
“Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors… and miss.” – Robert Heinlein
“All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.” – Alexis de Tocqueville