Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.
Interpretation
Restricting weapons only disarms those unlikely to commit crimes, making victims more vulnerable.
This quote by Thomas Jefferson reflects the idea that laws prohibiting the carrying of firearms primarily disarm law-abiding citizens rather than criminals. It suggests that such regulations may unintentionally embolden perpetrators by creating an environment where potential victims are more defenseless, thereby ultimately increasing the likelihood of violent crime.
In practice
In a discussion about gun control policies during a community meeting, one might reference Jefferson's quote to illustrate concerns about victim vulnerability.
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.
Faith, if it is ever right about anything, is right by accident
I know of nothing sublime which is not some modification of power.
Puddleglum's my name. But it doesn't matter if you forget it. I can always tell you again.
The ideal Government of all reflective men, from Aristotle onward, is one which lets the individual alone - one which barely escapes being no government at all.
No matter what, people don't think of me for glamorous parts. I'll go to an audition or a meeting in a pretty dress, and they still think of me as depressed or embattled. Hopefully, that will change.
You should stop searching for phrases and chasing after words. Take the backward step and turn the light inward. Your body-mind of itself will drop off and your original face will appear. If you want to attain just this, immediately practice just this.
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