Nothing before, nothing behind; The steps of faith Fall on the seeming void, and find The Rock beneath.
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
The laws of changeless justice bind oppressor and oppressed; and, close as sin and suffering joined we march to fate abreast.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the inevitability of justice for both the oppressor and the oppressed, highlighting their intertwined destinies.
John Greenleaf Whittier's quote reflects the concept that the principles of justice apply universally, binding both those who oppress and those who are oppressed. It suggests that regardless of one's position in society, justice will ultimately prevail, and the consequences of one's actions—whether good or bad—will eventually lead to their fate. This interconnectedness portrays a powerful image of moral accountability and the inextricable link between sin and suffering.
Themes
JusticeOppressionFateMoral AccountabilitySociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about social justice movements.
More from John Greenleaf Whittier
All quotes →the joy that you give to others is the joy that comes back to you
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
Before me, even as behind, God is, and all is well.
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
I know not where His islands lift Their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift Beyond His love and care.
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
I'll lift you and you lift me, and we'll both ascend together.
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.
John Greenleaf WhittierRead
Similar quotes
The legal system is designed to protect men from the superior power of the state but not to protect women or children from the superior power of men. It therefore provides strong guarantees for the rights of the accused but essentially no guarantees for the rights of the victim. If one set out by design to devise a system for provoking intrusive post-traumatic symptoms, one could not do better than a court of law.
Judith Lewis HermanRead
Loyalty to the principles upon which our Government rests positively demands that the equality before the law which it guarantees to every citizen should be justly and in good faith conceded in all parts of the land.
Grover ClevelandRead
Justice turns the scale, bringing to some learning through suffering.
AeschylusRead
We ask for nothing that is not ours by right, and herein lies the great moral power of our demand.
Paul RobesonRead
When you come in to court as a plaintiff or as a defendant, it is terribly important that you look up at the bench and feel that that person represents you and will understand you, that that person is reflective of our community and of our society.
Michael BloombergRead
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind. And that's all I want to say.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read