We wait till now? Now, when we're old men, we get to be brave?
Ernest GainesRead
How do people come up with a date and a time to take life from another man? Who made them God?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions the morality of deciding who lives and dies.
Ernest Gaines's quote reflects on the profound ethical implications of taking a life, challenging the authority and moral righteousness of those who decide on matters of life and death. It calls into question the human tendency to assume god-like powers over others, provoking deep thought about justice, morality, and the inherent value of life.
Themes
MoralityLifeDeathJusticeEthicalAuthority
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a debate about the ethics of capital punishment.
More from Ernest Gaines
All quotes βI was raised by a lady that was crippled all her life but she did everything for me and she raised me. She washed our clothes, cooked our food, she did everything for us. I don't think I ever heard her complain a day in her life. She taught me responsibility towards my brother and sisters and the community.
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...my heart may have been in it but my soul was not.
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Everything's been said, but it needs saying again.
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Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything.
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