Guns In America Quotes:

After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn't do it.

- William S. Burroughs

source: "The War Universe". Grand Street, No. 37, 1991.

topic: Gun, People, Shooting, Pro Gun, Right To Bear Arms

The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that... it is their right and duty to be at all times armed.

- Thomas Jefferson

topic: Gun Control, People, Southern, Strong Arms, Pro Gun

The Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.

- Samuel Adams

source: Debates of the Massachusetts Convention, 1788.

topic: Gun, Strong Arms, People, Handguns, States Rights

To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.

- George Mason

source: George Mason's address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 14, 1788.

topic: Strength, Peace, Gun, Handguns, Disarming

The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.

- Alexander Hamilton

source: "The Federalist Papers". Book by Alexander Hamilton, essay No. 69, 1787 - 1788.

topic: Gun, People, Gun Control, Handguns, Patriotic Gun

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.

- Thomas Jefferson

topic: Men, Law, May, Limited Government, Founding

The right of citizens to bear arms is just one guarantee against arbitrary government, one more safeguard against the tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible.

- Hubert H. Humphrey

topic: Government, America, Second Amendment, Handguns, Pro Gun

Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.

- Mahatma Gandhi

topic: Inspirational, Gun, Political, Misdeeds, Pro Gun

Whereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service on every occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding against it.

- Richard Henry Lee

source: "An Additional Number of Letters to the Republican". Letters by the Federal Farmer (pseudonym of Richard Henry Lee), Letter XVIII, teachingamericanhistory.org. January 25, 1988.

topic: Men, Practice, People, Nra, Strong Arms

Arms, like laws, discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe and preserve order...

- Thomas Paine

topic: Gun, Order, Law, Patriotic Gun, Militia

Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense 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

source: "The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution: Volume 3". Book by Jonathan Elliot, 1836.

topic: Real, Hands, Differences, Handguns, Propriety

People who object to weapons aren't abolishing violence, they're begging for rule by brute force, when the biggest, strongest animals among men were always automatically 'right.' Guns ended that, and social democracy is a hollow farce without an armed populace to make it work.

- L. Neil Smith

source: L. Neil Smith (2001). “The Probability Broach”, p.121, Macmillan

topic: Men, Animal, Gun, Social Democracy, Brute Force

Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.

- James Madison

topic: Country, Gun, Government, Pro Gun, Our Founding Fathers

When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British parliament was advised by an artful man [Sir William Keith], who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people. That it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them. But that they should not do it openly; but to weaken them and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia.

- George Mason

source: George Mason's address to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 14, 1788.

topic: Men, Gun, America, Handguns, Disarming

Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.

- Thomas Paine

topic: Motivation, Fear, Government, 2 Amendment, Patriotic Gun

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 band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States.

- Noah Webster

source: Noah Webster (1787). “An Examination Into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution Proposed by the Late Convention Held at Philadelphia: With Answers to the Principal Objections that Have Been Raised Against the System”, p.43

topic: Army, Europe, Law, Handguns, Pretense

The laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Can it be supposed that those who have the courage to violate the most sacred laws of humanity...will respect the less important and arbitrary ones... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants, they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.

- Cesare Beccaria

topic: Men, Law, Humanity, Disarming, Limiting Freedom

Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation.... Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.

- James Madison

topic: Military, Government, Europe, Disarming, Framers

If I could have gotten 51 votes in the Senate of the United States for an outright ban, picking up every one of them... 'Mr. and Mrs. America, turn 'em all in,' I would have done it.

- Dianne Feinstein

source: "60 Minutes" Interview, www.youtube.com. February 05, 1995.

topic: Gun, America, United States, Disarming, Pro Gun Control

Owning a gun in America is one way for conservative white males to demonstrate their anger at crime, liberalism, feminism, and modernity.

- Dan Savage

topic: Gun, White, America, Guns In America

First, we believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period ... with the rare exception of law enforcement officers or trained se curity personnel.

- Wayne LaPierre

topic: Zero, Believe, School, Zero Tolerance, Guns In America

We finally need to pass a prohibition on anyone who's on the terrorist watch list from being able to buy a gun in America. If you're too dangerous to fly, you are too dangerous to buy a gun.

- Hillary Clinton

source: "Transcript of the First Debate". www.nytimes.com. September 27, 2016.

topic: Gun, America, Watches, Guns In America