They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
134915
He would weep for the patriots he did know who fought and died for the very idea of personal liberty, only to have the word PATRIOT attached to the act of surrendering those liberties out of fear.
5290
depends if you think trading your liberty for a possible gain in your security is a good idea.\n\nalso depends if you think that a country that says it is 'free' should allow that to happen behind its back and if you think a country that says its 'free' has its own definition of what that means.\n\nany response that would suggest 'do you want people who could bomb us to be able to bomb us?' as a reason that its ok, is exactly the person that is saying 'its ok to take away my liberty which many many many people fought for so that i don't have to be afraid.'\n\nthe people that fought did not fight so that you could be 'safe', that is a very self-centric point of view. they fought and died for 'liberty'. if you think trading it in for a piece of safety is a good idea, then you have no respect for *what* the people fought for and probably don't have a good understanding of the problems this 'free' country faces.\n\ni hope there is a scandal.
381073
No and freedom is not free!!!!!
253520
Freedom is the only value I have, understand and will protect at any cost. I feel u share similar points of view to a life.\nThere is a freedom! Even a prisoner has got one if he wants to, your mind is free and one can stop u thinking until u're dead.
593754
It's scary how much Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin predicted in their sayings and how badly they're ignored today when their philosophy is most applicable.\n\nHey, JFK quoter...figure out what "liberty" means and we'll see which way that quote applies.  JFK also said (quoting Teddy Roosevelt), when asked to sing a bar of his favorite song:\n\n"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly as necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else. "\n\nhttp://www.worldofquotes.com/author/John-Fitzgerald-Kennedy/1/index.html\n\nSgt_K:  Reality check man, on that $3.00 a gallon, the refinery makes about $0.10 profit (PLUS the initial cost of the barrel of oil), meaning the sale price is slightly higher.  The OIL company that drills the oil sells it at market value, currently around $70/barrel.  The retailer (often owned by the same oil company that refined and drilled the oil, ie Shell) pockets all but the tax rate, which runs at around 17% excise on gas.  Sum total, Shell, Conoco, Exxon, etc pocket around $2.50 on every $3.00 gallon sold.
60766
It the scares the shit out of me ! To our ignorant friends heed the words of ben Franklin: THOSE WILLING TO GIVE UP FREEDOMS FOR SECURITY WILL HAVE NEITHER. \n\nAnd to our apathetic friends I quote Martin Niemoeller, one of the most respected Protestant leaders in WWII Germany.\n\nFirst they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--\n    because I was not a communist;\nThen they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--\n    because I was not a socialist;\nThen they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--\n    because I was not a trade unionist;\nThen they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--\n    because I was not a Jew;\nThen they came for me--\n    and there was no one left to speak out for me.
411526
You are screwed. You have been caught in the trap of forbidden freedom! What if you had a knife, or a gun, or a bomb! It is none of their business.
189154
As I would not be a slave, I would not be a master.\n\n            A. Lincoln: Famous emancipator\n\n       Even then, some people got it.
447894
Their philosophy is..\n     "Everyone, excluding us, should be willing to die for our country."\nAnd\n     "At least it's not me."
431590
Such as this? \n\n\n"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom…must undergo the fatigue of supporting it." \n- Paine, Thomas  (1737-1809)
59290
Al Franken may have quoted Benjamin Franklin. It's a good quote and makes a very good point. Unfortunately, the key word here is "deserve."\n\nWe're constitutionally obligated to provide safety even to those lunk-heads who would try to usurp our rights out of their own fear.\n\nAlso, "liberty" is an unalienable right and can't be "deserved."\n\nIt's a bombastic quote that can't be put into practical use.
193971
Thomas Jefferson put it quite succinctly when he said "Government is a necessary evil". However, the important thing to do, is never allow your government to get out of control, such as ours has.
145988
"There's nothing wrong with being proud of your country, but if you want to leave it so bad, that you do so illegally, that doesn't sound like being proud of the your country."-- I have been saying this sence this started..I totally agree with you..I guess people frome the other countries know that if they protest at their country they will be shot or something--but they know they can get away with it here in the LAND OF THE FREE--NOTHING LIKE STABBING LADY LIBERTY IN THE BACK
482224
Well, security is more important than liberty. Look at what happened in 9/11.
421839
Flush out your head gear, new guy. You think we waste \ngooks for freedom? This is a slaughter. If I'm gonna get my balls \nblown off for a word ... my word is "poontang."\n\nAnimal Mother in Full Metal Jacket.
578150
This country has already fallen apart and is in chaos.  It is only a matter of time as to when we are under complete UN control and lose the rest of our Constiutional protected rights.\n\nIn Liberty, peace and love,\nEric H. Smith\nwww.erichsmith.com
528501
Benjamin Franklin once said "Those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for temporary security deserves neither liberty nor security."