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Famous Quotes
 

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The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

A classic since 1953 with over 20,000 quotes from over 3,000 authors.


Famous Last Words

Apt Observations, Pleas, Curses, Benedictions, Sour Notes, Bons Mots, and Insights from People on the Brink of Departure


Stretch Your Wings

Famous Black Quotations for the Young


American Quotations

An exhaustive collection of profound quotes from the founding fathers, presidents, statesmen, scientists, constitutions, court decisions


The Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations


Last Words of Saints and Sinners

700 Final Quotes from the Famous, the Infamous, and the Inspiring Figures of History


America's God and Country: Encyclopedia of Quotations

Contains over 2,100 profound quotations from founding fathers, presidents, constitutions, court decisions and more


The Law

This 1850 classic is an absolute must read for anyone interested in law, justice, truth, or liberty. A most compelling and revolutionary look at The Law.


Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature (17th Edition)


The Stupidest Things Ever Said by Politicians

Rise up, America -- and laugh out loud at the greatest gaffes that no spin doctor could possibly fix!


The 776 Even Stupider Things Ever Said

Another great collection of stupidity


Quotable Quotes

Wit and Wisdom for All Occasions from America's Most Popular Magazine


The Most Brilliant Thoughts of All Time

You don't have to be a genius to sound like one. Here's a collection of the most profound and provocative wit and wisdom in the English language in two lines or less.


2,715 One-Line Quotations for Speakers, Writers & Raconteurs

Invaluable sampler of witticisms, epigrams, sayings, bon mots, platitudes and insights chosen for their brevity and pithiness.


Phillips' Book of Great Thoughts Funny Sayings

A stupendous collection of quotes, quips, epigrams, witticisms, and humorous comments for personal enjoyment and ready reference.


Quick Quips and Quotes; 532 Things I Wish I Had Said

Quick Quips and Quotes is the Ultimate Collection of one liners.


Bartlett's Book of Anecdotes

The ultimate anthology of anecdotes, now revised with over 700 new entries.


Quotations for Public Speakers

A Historical, Literary, and Political Anthology


Liberty - The American Revolution

This compelling series traces the events leading up to the war and America's fight for freedom.


Founding Fathers

The story of how these disparate characters fomented rebellion in the colonies, formed the Continental Congress, fought the Revolutionary War, and wrote the Constitution


Libertarianism: A Primer

David Boaz, director of the Cato Institute, has written a simple introduction to Libertarianism inteneded to appeal to disgruntled Democrats and Republicans everywhere.


The Libertarian Reader

Classic and Contemporary Writings from Lao-Tzu to Milton Friedman


Thomas Paine: Collected Writings

All the classics: Common Sense / The Crisis / Rights of Man / The Age of Reason / Pamphlets, Articles, and Letters

 
Mark B. CohenNothing can so alienate a voter from the political system as backing a winning candidate. 
Morris R. CohenThe business of the philosopher is well done if he succeeds in raising genuine doubt. 
Morris R. CohenSmall groups or communities may be far more oppressive to the individual than larger ones. Men are in many ways freer in large cities than in small villages. 
Richard M. CohenWe are going to impose our agenda on the coverage by dealing with the issues and subjects we choose to deal with. 
William S. CohenTerrorism is escalating to the point that Americans soon may have to choose between civil liberties and more intrusive means of protection. 
William S. CohenWe have to yet really seriously debate the constitutional issues and whether or not we're willing to give up more freedom in order to have more security. 
Jean Baptiste ColbertThe art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing. 
Frank Moore ColbyI have found some of the best reasons I ever had for remaining at the bottom simply by looking at the men at the top. 
William ColbyThe Central Intelligence Agency owns everyone of any significance in the major media. 
William ColbyThe Latin American drug cartels have stretched their tentacles much deeper into our lives than most people believe. It’s possible they are calling the shots at all levels of government. 
Hartley ColeridgeBut what is Freedom? Rightly understood, A universal licence to be good. 
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeOur own heart, and not other men's opinions form our true honor. 
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeI have seen gross intolerance show in support of tolerance. 
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeEvery reform, however necessary, will by weak minds be carried to an excess, that itself will need reforming. 
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeA people are free in proportion as they form their own opinions. 
Samuel Taylor ColeridgeIf a man is not rising upwards to be an angel, depend upon it, he is sinking downwards to be a devil. 
Matt ColesTwo hundred ten years ago, the people who drafted our Bill of Rights decided that banning books wasn't the way to handle disagreements. They thought the best thing was more speech. It is a pity that county commissioners in 2002 don't agree. 
Matt ColesThe core issue here is not whether you agree or disagree with the commissioners about gay people. It is whether you think the answer to a disagreement is to yank the words of anyone who disagrees with them out of the library. 
Rev. Nicholas CollinWhile the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny. 
Robin George CollingwoodPerfect freedom is reserved for the man who lives by his own work and in that work does what he wants to do. 
R. G. CollingwoodPerfect Freedom is reserved for the man who lives by his own work, and in that work does what he wants to do. 
Anthony CollinsBy freethinking I mean the use of the understanding in endeavoring to find out the meaning of any proposition whatsoever, in considering the nature of the evidence for or against, and in judging of it according to the seeming force or weakness of the evidence. 
Colorado ConstitutionThe right of no person to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall be called in question; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons. 
Colorado Supreme CourtA governmental purpose to control or prevent certain activities, which may be constitutionally subject to state or municipal regulation under the police power, may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area of protected freedoms. Even though the governmental purpose may be legitimate and substantial, that purpose cannot be pursued by means that broadly stifle fundamental personal liberties when the end can be more narrowly achieved. 
Colorado Supreme CourtThe 1st Amendment embraces the individual's right to purchase and read whatever books she wishes to, without fear the government will take steps to discover which books she buys, reads, and intends to read. 
Colorado Supreme Court[The state] cannot disarm any class of persons or deprive them of the right guaranteed under section 13, article 2 of the Constitution, to bear arms in defense of home, person, and property. The guaranty thus extended is meaningless if any person is denied the right to possess arms for such protection.... 
Charles Caleb ColtonTo know the pains of power, we must go to those who have it; to know its pleasures, we must go to those who are seeking it. 
Charles Caleb ColtonPrecisely in proportion to our own intellectual weakness will be our credulity as to those mysterious powers assumed by others. 
Charles Caleb ColtonHe that is good, will infallibly become better, and he that is bad, will as certainly become worse; for vice, virtue and time are three things that never stand still. 
Charles Caleb ColtonLiberty will not descend to a people, a people must raise themselves to liberty; it is a blessing that must be earned before it can be enjoyed. 
Charles Caleb ColtonThe victim to too severe a law is considered as a martyr rather than a criminal. 
William Comer[W]e are living in a sick Society filled with people who would not directly steal from their neighbors but who are willing to demand that the government do it for them. 
Henry Steele CommagerAmerica was born of revolt, flourished on dissent, became great through experimentation. 
Henry Steele CommagerEvery effort to confine Americanism to a single pattern, to constrain it to a single formula, is disloyalty to everything that is valid in Americanism. 
Henry Steele CommagerCensorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion... In the long run it will create a generation incapable of appreciating the difference between independence of thought and subservience. 
Henry Steele CommagerOur tradition is one of protest and revolt, and it is stultifying to celebrate the rebels of the past while we silence the rebels of the present. 
Henry Steele CommagerMen in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive. 
Henry Steele CommagerA free society cherishes nonconformity. It knows from the non-conformist, from the eccentric, have come many of the great ideas. 
Henry Steele CommagerFreedom is not a luxury that we can indulge in when at last we have security and prosperity and enlightenment; it is, rather, antecedent to all of these, for without it we can have neither security nor prosperity nor enlightenment. 
Henry Steele CommagerThe justification and the purpose of freedom of speech is not to indulge those who want to speak their minds. It is to prevent error and discover truth. There may be other ways of detecting error and discovering truth than that of free discussion, but so far we have not found them. 
Henry Steele CommagerMen in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive. 
Committee on American CitizenshipLawyers are being graduated from our law schools by the thousands who have little knowledge of the Constitution. When  organizations seek a lawyer to instruct them on the Constitution, they find it nearly impossible to secure one competent. 
Communist Party Education Workers CongressWe must create out of the younger generation a generation of Communists. We must turn children, who can be shaped like wax, into real, good Communists.... We must remove the children from the crude influence of their families. We must take them over and, to speak frankly, nationalize them. From the first days of their lives they will be under the healthy influence of Communist children's nurseries and schools. There they will grow up to be real Communists. 
Communist Rules for Revolution (Questionable)Communist Rules for Revolution... 
Auguste Comte[When] Men are not allowed to think freely about chemistry and biology, why should they be allowed to think freely about political philosophy? 
Auguste ComteSocial positivism only accepts duties, for all and towards all. Its constant social viewpoint cannot include any notion of rights, for such notion always rests on individuality. We are born under a load of obligations of every kind, to our predecessors, to our successors, to our contemporaries. These obligations then increase or accumulate, for it is some time before we can return any service. ... Any human right is therefore as absurd as immoral. Since there are no divine rights anymore, this concept must therefore disappear completely as related only to the preliminary regime and totally inconsistent with the final state where there are only duties based on functions. 
James Bryant ConantDiversity of opinion within the framework of loyalty to our free society is not only basic to a university but to the entire nation. 
Yvonne M. CondeEight days after taking over the reins of his country, a beloved leader urged everyone to turn in their arms - “There is no longer an enemy,” he said. A slogan, “Arms—What For?” appeared throughout the nation. Thirty days later he ordered his militia to turn in their arms. Promised elections are cancelled, the loved leader becomes a tyrant and his people lose all rights, including freedom of speech and press, becoming a totalitarian state for the next 35 years. For those Americans currently willing to agree to have some of their rights curtailed for temporary security, I’d urge them to look south -- to Cuba. 
Pat CondellNobody should be compelled to respect an ideology that doesn’t respect them. 
ConfuciusHe who will not economize will have to agonize. 
ConfuciusIf I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself. 
ConfuciusHold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. 
ConfuciusThe superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters. 
ConfuciusTell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand. 
ConfuciusTo know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. 
ConfuciusReal knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. 
ConfuciusThe superior man understands what is right. The inferior man understands what is popular. 
ConfuciusBy nature men are pretty much alike; it is learning and practice that set them apart. 
ConfuciusIf language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything. 
William CongreveNo mask like open truth to cover lies,\\As to go naked is the best disguise. 
Connecticut ConstitutionEvery citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state. 
Joseph ConradYou can’t, in sound morals, condemn a man for taking care of his own integrity. It is his clear duty. 
Joseph ConradOf all the inanimate objects, of all men’s creations, books are the nearest to us, for they contain our very thoughts, our ambitions, our indignations, our illusions, our fidelity to truth, and our persistent leaning toward error. 
Benjamin ConstantThus arbitrary power will have divided men of superior intelligence into two groups: the former will be seditious, the latter corrupt... 
Benjamin ConstantNo duty, however, binds us to these so-called laws, whose corrupting influence menaces what is noblest in our being... 
Benjamin ConstantFirst ask yourselves, Gentlemen, what an Englishman, a Frenchman, and a citizen of the United States of America understand today by the word 'liberty'. For each of them it is the right to be subjected only to the laws, and to be neither arrested, detained, put to death nor maltreated in any way by the arbitrary will of one or more individuals. It is the right of everyone to express their opinion, choose a profession and practice it, to dispose of property, and even to abuse it; to come and go without permission, and without having to account for their motives or undertakings. It is everyone's right to associate with other individuals, either to discuss their interests, or to profess the religion which they or their associates prefer, or even simply to occupy their days or hours in a way which is more compatible with their inclinations or whims. Finally, it is everyone's right to exercise some influence on the administration of the government, either by electing all or particular officials, or through representations, petitions, demands to which the authorities are more or less compelled to pay heed. Now compare this liberty with that of the ancients. The latter consisted in exercising collectively, but directly, several parts of the complete sovereignty; in deliberating, in the public square, over war and peace; in forming alliances with foreign governments; in voting laws, in pronouncing judgments; in examining the accounts, the acts, the stewardship of the magistrates; in calling them to appear in front of the assembled people, in accusing, condemning or absolving them. But if this was what the ancients called liberty, they admitted as compatible with this collective freedom the complete subjection of the individual to the authority of the community. 
Constitution for the United StatesThe United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government. 
Constitution for the USAWe the People of the united States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 
Indiana ConstitutionIn all criminal cases whatsoever, the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts. 
Maine ConstitutionEvery citizen has a right to keep and bear arms; and this right shall never be questioned. 
Massachusetts ConstitutionThe people have a right to keep and bear arms for the common defense. And as, in times of peace, armies are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be maintained without the consent of the Legislature; and the military power shall always be held in an exact subordination to the Civil authority, and be governed by it. 
Michigan ConstitutionEvery person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state. 
Montana ConstitutionThe right of any person to keep or bear arms in defense of his own home, person, and property, or in aid of the civil power when thereto legally summoned, shall not be called in question, but nothing herein contained shall be held to permit the carrying of concealed weapons. 
Nevada ConstitutionEvery citizen has the right to keep and bear arms for security and defense, for lawful hunting and recreational use and for other lawful purposes. 
New Hampshire ConstitutionAll persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state. 


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