The task of the media in a democracy is not to ease the path of those who govern, but to make life difficult for them by constant vigilance as to how they exercise the power they only hold in trust from the people.
From the very depth of my being, I challenge the right of any man or any group of men, in business or in government, to tell a fellow human being that he or she is expendable.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the inherent value of every individual and challenges the notion that any person can be deemed unimportant or replaceable.
Jimmy Reid's quote speaks to the core value of human dignity and the belief that no one should be considered expendable, whether in the context of business or government. It serves as a powerful reminder that each individual has unique worth and contributions, and it criticizes structures that fail to recognize or respect this fundamental truth. By asserting this challenge, Reid encourages a more compassionate and equitable perspective towards one another in society.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on workplace equality, one might use this quote to advocate for the value of each employee.
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The body is only a garment. How many times you have changed your clothing in this life, yet because of this you would not say that you have changed. Similarly, when you give up this bodily dress at death you do not change. You are just the same, an immortal soul, a child of God.
The person I am now, compared with the person in the dream, has been baffled and defeated and only supposes he enjoys a full life. In the dreams, I see what a full life really consists of, and it is not what I really have.
A world government with powers adequate to guarantee security is not a remote ideal for the distant future. It is an urgent necessity if our civilization is to survive.
Written language must be considered as a particular psychic reality. The book is permanent; it is an object in your field of vision. It speaks to you with a monotonous authority which even its author would not have. You are fairly obliged to read what is written.
A BUSINESSMAN cannot force you to buy his product; if he makes a mistake, He suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. _x000D_ A bureaucrat, forces you to obey his decisions, whether you agree with him or not... If he makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; If he fails, He passes the loss on to you, in the form of heavier taxes.
When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises.