I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
It is only by instigation of the wrongs of men that what are called the Rights of Man become turbulent and dangerous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that human rights become problematic when people react to injustices.
James Russell Lowell highlights the paradox that the very concept of human rights can lead to turmoil and conflict when those rights are infringed upon. It implies that societal unrest often arises from people's responses to violations of their rights rather than from the rights themselves, emphasizing the delicate balance between rights and societal harmony.
Themes
RightsWrongsJusticeHuman RightsSocietyTurmoil
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about social justice, one might quote this to discuss the consequences of injustice.
More from James Russell Lowell
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Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
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Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
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Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
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Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
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