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Keep and Bear Arms
“Gold, Silver and Lead... Freedom’s precious metals.” — Anon
Accidental deaths: Number of physicians in the U.S—700,000. Accidental deaths caused by physicians per year—120,000 Accidental deaths per physician—0.171. Number of gun owners in the U.S—80,000,000. Number of accidental gun deaths per year—1,500. Accidental deaths per gun owner—0.000018. Therefore, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.
“The Constitution of the United States shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.” — Samuel Adams
“Arms in the hands of individual citizens may be used at individual discretion... in private self-defense.” — John Adams
“The House passage of our bill is a victory for this country! Common sense wins out. I’m just so thrilled and excited. The sale of guns must stop. Halfway measures are not enough.” — Sarah Brady, July 1, 1988
“Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms, as the blackest.” — Mahatma Gandhi
“The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.” — Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist Papers.
“Common and political criminals prefer unarmed victims.” — Daniel McGavin Hansen
“The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.” — Patrick Henry
“The people of the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, bows, spears, firearms, or other types of arms. The possession of these elements makes difficult the collection of taxes and dues, and tends to permit uprising. Therefore, the heads of provinces, official agents, and deputies are ordered to collect all the weapons mentioned above and turn them over to the government.” — Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Shogun, August 29, 1558, Japan.
“Germans who wish to use firearms should join the SS or the SA” — ordinary citizens don’t need guns, as their having guns doesn’t serve the State. -Heinrich Himmler
“The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the underdog is a sine qua non ["something essential" lit. "without which not"] for the overthrow of any sovereignty. So let’s not have any native militia or police.” — Adolph Hitler, Edict of March 18, 1938
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. 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, June 1776.
“To disarm the people (is) the best and most effectual way to enslave them...” — George Mason.
“On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results.” — Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, June 8, 1923.
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” — Thomas Paine
“The twentieth century has been a tumultuous one. It has seen two world wars and countless regional ones; its has seen a third of the earth’s population enslaved by Communism; and political scientist R. J. Rummel estimated that during the first nine decades of the 20th century, at least 169,000,000 human beings were killed by their own governments.” — G. Vance Smith
“Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any bands of regular troops that can be, on any pretense, raised in the United States.” — Noah Webster, 1888
“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty, teeth and keystone under independence. The church, the plow, the prairie wagon and citizens’ firearms are indelibly related. From the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences and tendencies prove that, to ensure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. Every corner of this land knows firearms, and more than 99 and 99-100 percent of them by their silence indicate they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil influence. They deserve a place of honor with all that’s good. When firearms go, all goes. We need them every hour.” — George Washington
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