The Know Your Bill of Rights Book Quotes

“if you want to learn even more of the history of the Bill of Rights, I highly recommend Levy’s Origins of the Bill of Rights, a principled, learned, and compelling treatise on the subject.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Do not separate text from historical background,” admonished James Madison. “If you do, you will have perverted and subverted the Constitution, which can only end in a distorted, bastardized form of illegitimate government.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Voltaire once said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” We would be smart to uphold this ideal.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“People who would attempt to violate, diminish, or eliminate your rights as taught in this book are, in effect, trying to degrade your value as a human being. They are trying to covertly assert their superiority over you and get you to believe that, as Orwell said, slavery is freedom.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Experience hath shown, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny,” said Thomas Jefferson.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Edmund Burke once wrote that “those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it,”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“well-regulated militia consisting of “the body of the people capable of bearing arms” is the “proper” defense of a free state.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“George Mason reminded those attending that the British had previously sought to disarm the colonials in an attempt to enslave them. “Who are the militia?” he asked. “They consist now of the whole people.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“In a heartfelt speech to Parliament in 1763, William Pitt declared: “The poorest man may, in his cottage, bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail; its roof may shake; the wind may blow through it; the storm may enter; the rain may enter; but the King of England may not enter; all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement.” Sir”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“THE BILL OF RIGHTS THE FIRST AMENDMENT Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“should Americans ever find themselves faced with an incorrigible government of totalitarian oppression, a government that has abandoned the very principles this nation was founded upon and that reconstituted a slavery like that of the past, then the people have the natural, inalienable right to change the government as they see fit, and the spirit of this amendment clearly applies.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Failing to comprehend the original meaning of these documents guarantees that the original message will be lost in translation and maybe one day even deemed outmoded and irrelevant in modern society.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Thus, we must be insistent on not only our right to express our views, but others to do the same (even if we don’t agree with them), lest we all lose our freedom to speak our minds. Voltaire once said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” We would be smart to uphold this ideal.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” – Thomas Jefferson”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Through censorship, our opinions and attitudes will become prescribed by the authorities, with dissenting views labeled as heretical and punishable by law. If this happens, we will surely see the dissolution of the rest of our rights accelerate, unhindered by public scrutiny and outrage.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Eventually, in the guise of preventing “hate speech,” all manner of communications will be forbidden. Restrictions will undoubtedly find their way into politics, current affairs, jurisprudence, but they could plausibly be expected to stretch into the realms of philosophy, religion, education, economics, civics, and other subjects that build our fundamental character.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“our freedom to express discontent with and even anger at our government’s actions is vital to the preservation of a free and open society.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“The crime of seditious libel implies that the people are inferior to the state, and that their criticisms are unacceptable to their master. An”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“While no censorship would be placed on the citizens, every person was responsible if he attacked the government in speech or writing, and such actions would lead to a criminal prosecution in a federal court.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Justice Thomas McKean felt this was an accurate and appropriate application of Blackstone’s declaration that publishing “bad sentiments destructive of the needs of society is the crime which society corrects.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“True patriotism is belief in the ideals that this nation was founded upon; it is not ignorance of them and unthinking, endless devotion to government.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it,” said Daniel Webster.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“the Bill of Rights is a triumphant proclamation of sacred truths upon which freedom depends and a heroic defense of the individual against the majority, subject as it is to demagoguery and deception.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“In free governments, the rulers are the servants and the people their superiors and sovereigns.” – Benjamin Franklin”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“government is but an instrument of the people, its powers forever subordinate to their rights as human beings.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“all human beings, regardless of gender, status, wealth, and religion, are born equally free and with the right to the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property and the right to the pursuit of happiness.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Become educated, encourage others to follow, and together, despite our divergent political leanings, we can stand united as human beings who recognize and respect each other’s rights to enjoy life and liberty, to acquire and possess property, and to pursue and obtain happiness and safety.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“Government is not reason; it is not eloquence. It is force. And force, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” – George Washington How”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!

“When Madison began his fight in the House for amendments protecting personal liberties, he was without a single supporter. He intended to convince the great body of Americans who withheld their approval of the Constitution because they felt it should secure them against governmental abuse. When he proposed an amendment on searches and seizures, he opted for granting the maximum protection possible at the time: “The rights of the people to be secured in their persons, their houses, and their other property, from all unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated by warrants issued without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, or not particularly describing the places to be searched, or the persons or things to be seized.” He dropped the questionable “ought not” for the assertive “shall not,” he contributed the significant phrase “probable cause,” and above all, he granted rights to the people, not just restrictions on the government. After deliberations, the House adopted Madison’s wording with only two minor changes: “rights” became “right,” and “secured” became “secure.” The final wording was as follows: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
― Sean Patrick, The Know Your Bill of Rights Book: Don't Lose Your Constitutional Rights—Learn Them!