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I wish I was a despot that I might save the noble, the beautiful trees that are daily falling sacrifice to the cupidity of their owners, or the necessity of the poor. The unnecessary felling of a tree, perhaps the growth of centuries, seems to me a crime little short of murder.
Thomas Jefferson
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote expresses a deep concern for the destruction of trees and nature, equating their unnecessary felling to a crime.

In this quote, Thomas Jefferson laments the loss of trees due to human greed and the struggles of poverty. He feels that if he held absolute power, he would take action to protect these noble living beings from being cut down for selfish reasons or necessity. Jefferson's passionate stance highlights the importance of environmental conservation and reflects an ethical viewpoint that sees the destruction of nature as a grave injustice.

Themes

TreesNatureEnvironmentConservationGreedCrime

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech advocating for tree conservation, this quote can emphasize the importance of protecting our natural resources.

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The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
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Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
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A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
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Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
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