Quotes tagged ‘Slavery’

“The marriage institution cannot exist among slaves, and one sixth of the population of democratic America is denied it's privileges by the law of the land. What is to be thought of a nation boasting of its liberty, boasting of it's humanity, boasting of its Christianity, boasting of its love of just…”

— Frederick Douglass, amazon.com

“I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.”

— Frederick Douglass, amazon.com

“Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.”

— Frederick Douglass, amazon.com

“In thinking of America, I sometimes find myself admiring her bright blue sky — her grand old woods — her fertile fields — her beautiful rivers — her mighty lakes, and star-crowned mountains. But my rapture is soon checked, my joy is soon turned to mourning. When I remember that all is cursed with th…”

— Frederick Douglass, amazon.com

“Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery.”

— Wayne Dyer, amazon.com

“Morty: You have a whole planet... sitting around making your power for you?! That's slavery! Rick: It's society! They work for each other, Morty. They pay each other, they buy houses, they get married and make children that replace them when they get too old to make power. Morty: That just sounds li…”

— Dan Guterman, Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, Rick Sanchez (voice), Justin Roiland, imdb.com

“Among a large class, there seemed to be a dependence upon the government for every conceivable thing. The members of this class had little ambition to create a position for themselves, but wanted the federal officials to create one for them. How many times I wished then and have often wished since,…”

— Booker T. Washington, amazon.com

“Maybe I should offer a good thanks to the distinguished members of the majority, the Republicans, my chairman and others, for giving us an opportunity to have a deliberative constitutional discussion that reinforces the sanctity of this nation and how well it is that we have lasted some 400 years, o…”

— Sheila Jackson Lee, freebeacon.com

“Many Negroes see mass violence coming. Having lived in a society in which church, school, and home problems have been handled in a violent way, the majority at this point are unable to conceive of a solution by reconciliation and nonviolence. I have seen schoolboys in Arkansas laying away rusty guns…”

— Bayard Rustin, explorepahistory.com

“When we forgive, the slave we free is ourselves.”

— Edward M. Hallowell M.D., amazon.com

“Americans are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.”

— Alexis de Tocqueville, amazon.com

“Kanye is betting on anti-blackness to gain him power and notoriety in non-black circles. He is selling out his own people because he knows that non-black people really love to think that black people are oppressed because they want to be.”

— Ijeoma Oluo, medium.com

“Insurance is like marriage. You pay and pay, and never get anything back! Besides, the car isn't worth more than 100 bucks with both kids in it.”

— Arthur Silver, Al Bundy, Ed O'Neill, imdb.com

“Was it possible to lose the nation, and yet preserve the constitution? By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by becomin…”

— Abraham Lincoln, en.wikiquote.org

“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling.”

— Abraham Lincoln, en.wikiquote.org

“So that saying, in the struggle between the negro and the crocodile, &c., is made up from the idea that down where the crocodile inhabits a white man can't labor; it must be nothing else but crocodile or negro; if the negro does not the crocodile must possess the earth; [Laughter] in that case he de…”

— Abraham Lincoln, historyplace.com

“Look at the magnitude of this subject! One sixth of our population, in round numbers — not quite one sixth, and yet more than a seventh, — about one sixth of the whole population of the United States are slaves! The owners of these slaves consider them property. The effect upon the minds of the owne…”

— Abraham Lincoln, historyplace.com

“If the Republicans, who think slavery is wrong, get possession of the general government, we may not root out the evil at once, but may at least prevent its extension. If I find a venomous snake lying on the open prairie, I seize the first stick and kill him at once. But if that snake is in bed with…”

— Abraham Lincoln, en.wikisource.org

“Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed. There is a judgment and a feeling against slavery in this nation, which cast at least a million and a half of votes. You cannot destroy that judgment and feeling — that sentiment — by breaking up the political organizat…”

— Abraham Lincoln, en.wikisource.org

“I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”

— Abraham Lincoln, en.wikiquote.org