Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of preserving freedom and justice for future generations.
In this quote, Thomas Jefferson passionately advocates for the need to uphold the freedoms that were fought for by our ancestors. He argues that it is our moral obligation to not surrender our liberty, as it is not only a gift from those who came before us but also a right that must be safeguarded for those who will come after us. This highlights a sense of responsibility towards both history and future generations.
In practice
In a speech about civil rights, you might quote Jefferson to inspire your audience to fight for freedom.
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.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
We must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
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.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
When I was young, I was picked on for something that today I feel is amazing. One thing about me connects millions of people around the world. And it's my skin condition - vitiligo.
So often survivors have had their experiences denied, trivialized, or distorted. Writing is an important avenue for healing because it gives you the opportunity to define your own reality. You can say: This did happen to me. It was that bad. It was the fault & responsibility of the adult. I was—and am—innocent.” The Courage to Heal by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis
It is brave to be involved. To be not fearful to be unresolved.
The boat is safer anchored at the port; but that’s not the aim of boats.
No matter what trials we face, Christ never leaves us. He is with us every step of the way!
Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of Hell.
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