Hitler never abandoned the cloak of legality; he recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side. Instead, he turned the law inside out and made illegality legal.
Robert ByrdRead
That's what the Senate is about. It's the last bastion of minority rights, where a minority can be heard, where a minority can stand on its feet, one individual if necessary, and speak until he falls into the dust
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Senate serves as a vital platform for minority voices, ensuring they are heard and represented.
In this quote, Robert Byrd emphasizes the role of the Senate as a protective space for minority rights, illustrating that it is a crucial institution where even one individual can stand up and have their voice heard. He portrays the Senate as a last fortress for those who may be marginalized in society, underlining the importance of democratic representation and the duty of each senator to advocate for those without power.
Themes
SenateMinority RightsRepresentationDemocracyAdvocacy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about political representation, one might quote Byrd to emphasize the importance of minority voices in governance.
More from Robert Byrd
All quotes →Similar quotes
In a country where the sole employer is the State, opposition means death by slow starvation. The old principle: who does not work shall not eat, has been replaced by a new one: who does not obey shall not eat.
Leon TrotskyRead
Collective European Union action could mean no hiding places for evaders, no safe haven for tax avoiders, and no treasure islands for money launderers.
Gordon BrownRead
No measure can be more desirable, whether viewed with an eye to its intrinsic importance, or to the general sentiment and wish of the Nation than to establish a systematic and effectual arrangement for the regular redemption and discharge of the public debt.
George WashingtonRead
If voting could actually change anything, it would be illegal.
Noam ChomskyRead
In a dying civilization, political prestige is the reward not of the shrewdest diagnostician, but of the man with the best bedside manner.
Eric AmblerRead
Everybody counts in applying democracy. And there will never be a true democracy until every responsible and law-abiding adult in it, without regard to race, sex, color or creed has his or her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in government.
Carrie Chapman CattRead