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Once you buy the argument that some segment of the citizenry should lose their rights, just because they are envied or resented, you are putting your own rights in jeopardy - quite aside from undermining any moral basis for respecting anybody's rights. You are opening the floodgates to arbitrary power. And once you open the floodgates, you can't tell the water where to go.
Thomas Sowell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote warns that allowing some people to lose their rights due to envy endangers everyone's rights and invites arbitrary authority.

Thomas Sowell's quote elaborates on the dangerous precedent set when a group of people is stripped of their rights based on societal resentment or envy. By suggesting that it's acceptable for certain citizens to lose their rights, one invites the risk that their own rights may be compromised in the future. This perspective encourages a moral obligation to uphold the rights of all individuals, as permitting the erosion of rights for some undermines the integrity of rights for all and paves the way for unchecked power.

Themes

RightsJusticeFreedomPowerSocietyEnvyMorality

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate on civil rights, this quote can emphasize the importance of protecting everyone's rights.

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Quote by Thomas Sowell | QuoteProject