Voting is no substitute for the eternal vigilance that every friend of freedom must demonstrate towards government. If our freedom is to survive, Americans must become far better informed of the dangers from Washington -- regardless of who wins the Presidency.
Interpretation
Voting alone is not enough; citizens must actively monitor and engage with their government to protect freedom.
James Bovard emphasizes the importance of active participation in governance beyond just casting a vote. He argues that maintaining freedom requires constant awareness and engagement with governmental actions, highlighting the need for citizens to educate themselves about political issues and to remain vigilant against potential threats to their liberties, irrespective of the political party in power.
In practice
This quote could be used in a political rally to encourage citizens to stay engaged with civic duties.
Democracy is not freedom. Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to eat for lunch. Freedom comes from the recognition of certain rights which may not be taken, not even by a 99% vote. Those rights are spelled out in the Bill of Rights and in our California Constitution. Voters and politicians alike would do well to take a look at the rights we each hold, which must never be chipped away by the whim of the majority.
We can make war so terrible and make them so sick of war that generations pass away before they again appeal to it.
A lot of the media says, 'oh, black musician converts X-number of Klansmen.' I never converted one. But over 200 have left that, the white supremacy movements, because I have been the impetus for that.
Rosa Parks showed us all that one little person can make a whole bunch of noise without so much as a whisper. She showed the world that the color of your skin shouldn't determine what part of the bus you sit in... as you ride through life.
I belong to a nation which over the past centuries has experienced many hardships and reverses. The world reacted with silence or with mere sympathy when Polish frontiers were crossed by invading armies and the sovereign state had to succumb to brutal force.
The devil smiles when we are up to our ears in work, but he trembles when we pray.
They say you never know who's the real hero and who's the real coward until you're looking death in the face. I've always been afraid of plenty of things, but fear isn't what makes you a coward. It's how depraved your heart becomes when fear gets pumped through it.
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