"There Never Was A Good War" (Charles Eliot Norton)

"There never was a good war," said Franklin.  There have indeed been many wars in  which a good man must take part, and take part with grave gladness to die if need be, a willing sacrifice, thankful to give life for what is dearer than life, and happy that even by death in war he is serving the cause of peace.  But if a war be undertaken for the most righteous end, before the resources of peace have been tried and proved vain to secure it, that war has no defense it is a national crime.     Charles Eliot Norton  (1827-1908)


"There is no zeal blinder than that which is inspired with a love of justice against offenders."
Henry Fielding     (1707-1754)     English novelist and dramatist


"The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy."         
John Quincy Adams    (1767-1848)   6th US President


 "Every crime is born of necessity.  If you want less crime, you must change the conditions.  Poverty makes crime.  Want, rags, crusts, misfortune - all these awake the wild beast in man, and finally he takes, and takes contrary to law, and becomes a criminal.  And what do you do with him?  You punish him.  Why not punish a man for having consumption?  The time will come when you will see that that is just as logical.  What do you do with the criminal?  You send him to the penitentiary.  Is he made better?  Worse.  The first thing you do is to try to trample out his manhood, by putting an indignity upon him.  You mark him.  You put him in stripes.  At night you put him in darkness.  His feeling for revenge grows.  You make a wild beast of him, and he comes out of that place branded in body and soul, and then you won't let him reform if he wants to."                                       
 Robert G. Ingersoll    (1833-1899) 

Two Quotes About War

"When the swords flash let no idea of love, piety,  or even the face of your fathers move you."
Gaius Julius Caesar     (100-44  BC  Dictator of the Roman Republic)

"The people must fight for their laws as for their walls."      Heraclitus   (c.540-480 BC) Greek philosopher

The Jury In 3 State Constitutions

"In all cases of libels, the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the court, as in other cases."         Texas Constitution:    Article I, Section 8


"In all criminal cases whatsoever, the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts."
 Indiana Constitution:    Article I, Section 19


"The jury in all criminal cases, shall be the judges of the law and the facts.      "Georgia, Declaration of Rights:     Art.I, Sec.II, Para. I

If People Could Govern Themselves

I have purposely done no research on this matter for quite a long time.  I chose not to do so for the purpose of writing what comes to mind based on logic and common sense.  I think people can govern themselves without a formal government if they live in isolation form large communities.  They would then depend on family structure for governance.  This, of course has happened before.  However, this cannot be done if the people involved are ignorant of moral parameters.  The way I see it, survival is next to impossible if there are no moral parameters, and if there is no love.  Obviously, the aforementioned need to be taught.  No love, no morality, no life.  Unless one is an amoeba, insect, worm, or the like.

"Arms For Our Own Defense" (Patrick Henry)

"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our own defence?  Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our own direction, and having them under the management of Congress?  If our defence be the_real_object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?"

 Patrick Henry(1736-1799)

"Courage Is Rightly Esteemed" (Churchill)

"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it has been said it is the quality which guarantees all others."                       

 Sir Winston Churchill

No Arms For Our Own Defence? P. Henry

"Are we at last brought to such a humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms
for our own defence?  Where is the difference between having our arms in our own possession and under our 
own direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defence* be the real object of having 
those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?"    
 Patrick Henry(1736-1799)

*  "Defence" spelled with a "c" is the British way to spell defense.