The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Charles Evans HughesRead
Our institutions were not devised to bring about uniformity of opinion; if they had we might well abandon hope. It is important to remember, as has well been said, 'the essential characteristic of true liberty is that under its shelter many different types of life and character and opinion and belief can develop unmolested and unobstructed.'
Interpretation
True liberty allows for diverse opinions and ways of life without interference.
In this quote, Charles Evans Hughes emphasizes the importance of diversity in thought and belief as a core element of true liberty. Rather than stifling differing opinions, institutions should allow individuals the freedom to express themselves and develop their unique perspectives, which is essential for a vibrant and functioning society.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of freedom of expression.
The first lesson in civics is that efficient government begins at home.
Dissents are appeals to the brooding spirit of the law, to the intelligence of another day.
While democracy must have its organizations and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.
The peril of this Nation is not in any foreign foe! We, the people, are its power, its peril, and its hope.
Every young man should aim at independence and should prepare himself for a vocation; above all, he should so manage his life that the steps of his progress are taken without improper aids; that he calls no one master, that he does not win or deserve the reputation of being a tool of others, and that if called to public service he may assume its duties with the satisfaction of knowing that he is free to rise to the height of his opportunity.
It is the essence of the institutions of liberty that it be recognized that guilt is personal and cannot be attributed to the holding of opinions or to mere intent in the absence of overt acts.
Last I checked, Bill Gates was worth $50 billion. If the average employed adult, who is walking in a hurry, will pick up a quarter from the sidewalk, but not a dime, then the corresponding amount of money given their relative wealth that Bill Gates would ignore if he saw it lying on the street is $25,000.
Freedom always deals with 'the possible'; this gives freedom its great flexibility, its fascination, and its dangers.
Religion, you know, enters very deep; in reality it is the deepest impression I have in speaking to people, that they are or that they are not of my religion.
This was not an act of terrorism, but it was an act of war.
For a time Jack was angry; but when he had been without the jacket for a short while he began to realize that being half-clothed is infinitely more uncomfortable than being entirely naked. Soon he did not miss his clothing in the least, and from that he came to revel in the freedom of his unhampered state.
All things are nourished together without their injuring one another. The courses of the seasons, and of the sun and moon, are pursued without any collision among them. The smaller energies are like river currents; the greater energies are seen in mighty transformations. It is this which makes heaven and earth so great.
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