
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
quote by Thomas Jefferson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes

It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.
quote by Thomas Jefferson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Moral Fiber!
true moral fiber...
is grounded in respect!
respect yourself!
respect the earth!
respect your neighbor!
(everyone is your neighbor)
respect the search for truth.
respect justice!
respect the rights of human beings
to be human beings!
respect the need of each and all!
living thus...
will not allow you to respect,
acts of injustice,
acts of ignorance,
acts of prejudice,
acts of greed!
be respect!
poem by Eric Cockrell

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Now as of old the gods give men all good things, excepting only those that are baneful and injurious and useless. These, now as of old, are not gifts of the gods: men stumble into them themselves because of their own blindness and folly.
quote by Democritus

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Ten Commandments
I believed the Ten Commandments,
Were sins we were not to commit.
And I understand them as 'commands'!
And not to be applied as 'we' see fit!
Some live their lives,
As if these are not legitimate.
And comprehending the opposite,
To inflict upon a consciousness...
An increasingly reflected mental misfitness.
With a clear misunderstanding...
That our Creator is not pleased one bit!
These commandments we should take heed.
And immediately revisit!
I am the Lord your God
You shall have no other gods before me
You shall not make for yourself an idol
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy
Honor your father and mother
You shall not murder
You shall not commit adultery
You shall not steal
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor
'Look, Yo...
Ain't these 'commandments'?
Ain't these things we suppose to do? '
Noooo! ...yeeeesss, but no!
You are 'not' suppose to do these things.
You are suppose to 'do' these things!
'Oh!
Ooooh!
So, they are commands 'meant'
Not to do what is commanded? '
Let me put this another way!
See my fist?
Even though I am tempted,
To hit you in the head with it...
AND that might bring unto me,
A temporary satisfaction?
Something inside of me,
Is preventing me not to do it.
'Oh,
I see.
Would it be the gun you know I have in my car?
And you know I can command it in minutes? '
Let's just dropp the subject.
'Yeah!
I command we do! '
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Twenty Years
There are twenty years to go
Twenty ways to know
Who'll wear
Who'll wear the hat
There are twenty years to go
The best of all I hope
Enjoy the ride
The medicine show
Thems the breaks
For we designer fakes
We need to concentrate on more than meets the eye
There are twenty years to go
The faithful and the low
The best of starts, the broken heart, the stone
There are twenty years to go
The punch-drunk and the blow
The worst of starts, the mercy part, the foam
Thems the breaks
Before we designer fakes
We need to concentrate on more than meets the eye
Thems the breaks
Before we designer fakes
But it's you I take cos you're the truth, not I
There are twenty years to go
A golden age I know
But all will pass and end too fast you know
There are twenty years to go
And many friends I hope
Though some may hold the rose
Some hold the rope
That's the end - and that's the start of it
That's the whole - and that's the part of it
That's the high - and that's the heart of it
That's the long - and that's the short of it
That's the best - and that's the test in it
That's the doubt - the doubt, the trust in it
That's the sight - and that's the sound of it
That's the gift - and that's the trick in it
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
You're the truth, not I
song performed by by Placebo

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The Reason Why One Resorts To Poetry
imagine you have a world
a government
a neighbor,
the world too cruel for you and you want to hurt it too
but you cannot,
the government that makes you poorer and deceives you
and persecutes you and you want to be one of those rebels
but you cannot
a neighbor that closes its door and talks against you
and makes higher fences
and yet you cannot complain because
you have no power
weak and helpless and you too
lost in the labyrinths of a complex lifestyle
no direction, no vision, no hope nothing to lean upon
or hold unto
those are the reasons why you go inside your room too
and begin to write, and somehow, you say
i am free, i am happy, i am living,
and my house is not burning.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The connection which formerly existed between the Government and banks was in reality injurious to both, as well as to the general interests of the community at large.
quote by Martin Van Buren

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Neighbor, Neighbor
Neighbor, neighbor, why you messin in my life?
Neighbor, neighbor, youve been talkin to my wife,
Tellin her you seen me
Runnin wild the other night,
Runnin wild the other night.
A neighbor, neighbor, theress always one in every crowd.
A neighbor, neighbor, tellin lies and talkin loud.
You better watch your step now.
You might fall off your cloud.
You might fall off your cloud.
Now I was walking down a dusty road
When along came a neighbor of mine.
He saw me walkin with my head hung down,
He just had to stop and pass the time.
Neighbor, neighbor, floatin in the salty brine.
Floatin in the salty brine.
song performed by by ZZ Top

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A government is not legitimate merely because it exists.
quote by Jeane Kirkpatrick

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Force does not constitute right... obedience is due only to legitimate powers.
quote by Jean Jacques Rousseau

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

The only index by which to judge a government or a way of life is by the quality of the people it acts upon. No matter how noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion — it is an evil government.
quote by Eric Hoffer

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!
Dharma Talk # 2 (Cry For Help)
the growl in your stomach,
your neighbor's hunger.
the wet spot on your pillow,
your neighbor's tears.
the sharp pain in your heart,
your neighbor's eviction notice.
the sadness in your mirror...
your neighbor's cry for help!
WAKE UP!
poem by Eric Cockrell

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
After the spiritual powers, there is no thing in the world more unconquerable than the spirit of nationality. The spirit of nationality in Ireland will persist even though the mightiest of material powers be its neighbor.
quote by George William Russell

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Improved turnout will give parliament and government the appearance of being more legitimate.
quote by Peter Lynch

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
The downside isn't really injury, fear of injury or the process of fighting back from injury. The downside, the very worst thing in the world, is surgery.
quote by Greg Rusedski

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Under the doctrine of separation of powers, the manner in which the president personally exercises his assigned executive powers is not subject to questioning by another branch of government.
quote by Richard Milhous Nixon

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Government has a legitimate function, but the private sector has one too, and it is superior. In other words, people are better than institutions.
quote by Cal Thomas

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our first object.
quote by Thomas Jefferson

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I believe democracy flourishes when the government can take legitimate steps to keep its secrets and when the press can decide whether to print what it knows.
quote by Katherine Graham

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

The ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain, by fear, nor to exact obedience, but contrariwise, to free every man from fear, that he may live in all possible security; in other words, to strengthen his natural right to exist and work without injury to himself or others. No, the object of government is not to change men from rational beings into beasts or puppets, but to enable them to develop their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled; neither showing hatred, anger, or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy and injustice. In fact, the true aim of government is liberty.
quote by Baruch Spinoza

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!