More Quotes by Thomas Jefferson
When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.
Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
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.
Equal rights for all, special privileges for none
Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness] it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.
There is no justification for taking away individuals' freedom in the guise of public safety.
It is the old practice of despots to use a part of the people to keep the rest in order.
When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty.
When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.
A private central bank issuing the public currency is a greater menace to the liberties of the people than a standing army. We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt.
