Activism Change

Pro-adoption quotes (Was: Re: Proposal: alt.adoption …)

Question:

Hello Joanne, thanks for your kind words about the Frederick Douglass quote.  It is pretty terrific, isn’t it?  And terribly appropriate.   Since I now know you to be a quote connoisseur, let me share a few more with you, and ask for your feedback on one or more: "Never on the winning side, Always on the right — Vanquished, this shall be our pride In the world’s despite. Let the oily Pharisees Pursue their lips and rant, Calm we face the Destinies: Better `can’t’ than cant. Bravely drain, then fling away, Break, the cup of sorrow! Courage!  He who lost the day May have won the morrow."    George S. Viereck. From the Declaration of Independence, remember these lines:

"He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life and liberty …  Determined to keep open a market where men should be bought and sold …" William Lloyd Garrison: "I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity?  I WILL be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice.  On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation.  No! No! Tell a man whose house is on fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife from the hands of a varisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her babe from the fire into which it has fallen’ — but urge me not to use moderation in a cause like the present.  I am in earnest — I will not equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.  The apathy of the people is enough to make every statute leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the dead." "It is pretended, that I am retarding the cause of emancipation, by the coarseness of my invective, and the precipitancy of my measures.  The charge is not true. … and posterity will bear testimony that I was right.  I desire to thank God, that he enables me to disregard `the fear of man which bringeth a snare,’ and to speak his truth in its simplicity and power. …" And of course the Seneca Falls Declaration … or Thoreau’s "Civil Disobedience" … The 14th Amendment … Susan B. Anthony’s "Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God." Justice Harlan’s dissent of "separate but equal": "… In respect of  civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law…." The Niagara Movement Declaration: "We refuse to allow the impression to remain that the Negro-American assents to inferiority, is submissive under oppression and apologetic before insults."  (With the change of one word, that could be BN’s standard.  :-)) The Equal Rights Amendment:  "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex."  Now, I realize that they didn’t mean the pre-marital sex of one’s biological parents, but I think that can and should be inferred. And a few oddities: "When they circumcised Herbert Samuel, they threw away the wrong bit."                           David Lloyd George, British P.M., 1916-22. "Being attacked by Joe Clark is like being savaged by a dead sheep."                                   Bob Rae, Canadian parliamentarian Something that Marley wrote some weeks ago resulted in my finding these Mikhail Bakunin quotes: "It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral.  And that can be done in only one way; by assuring the triumph of justice, that is, the complete liberty of everyone in the most perfect equality for all.  Inequality of conditions and rights, and the resulting lack of liberty for all, is the great collective iniquity begetting all individual iniquities." and "Everything that lives, does so under the categorical condition of decisively interfering in the life of someone else …" and "Being free for man means being acknowledged, considered and treated as such by another man, and by all the men around him.  … Far from being a limitation or a denial of my liberty, the liberty of another is its necessary condition and confirmation." (which is of course a reminder of John Donne’s "No man is an island" which is probably my all-time favorite motto.) And finally this one dedicated to certain "regular": "What you have here is an administration that has set its hair on fire and is trying to put out the fire with a hammer."           U.S.A., 1988

Response:

: Hello Joanne, thanks for your kind words about the Frederick Douglass : quote.  It is pretty terrific, isn’t it?  And terribly appropriate. :   Although he was referring to slavery, it’s the most appropriate quote I’ve ever read with respect to open records for adoption. : Since I now know you to be a quote connoisseur, let me share a few more : with you, and ask for your feedback on one or more: : Actually, it’s a newly-acquired hobby… <SNIP a few good quotes : William Lloyd Garrison: : "I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is : there not cause for severity?  I WILL be as harsh as truth, and as : uncompromising as justice.  On this subject, I do not wish to think, or : speak, or write, with moderation.  No! No! Tell a man whose house is on : fire, to give a moderate alarm; tell him to moderately rescue his wife : from the hands of a varisher; tell the mother to gradually extricate her : babe from the fire into which it has fallen’ — but urge me not to use : moderation in a cause like the present.  I am in earnest — I will not : equivocate — I will not excuse — I will not retreat a single inch — : AND I WILL BE HEARD.  The apathy of the people is enough to make every : statute leap from its pedestal, and to hasten the resurrection of the : dead." : Another good quote with respect to open records!! Amazing how truth, justice, liberty, equality, and civil rights go hand-in-hand with open records… <SNIP a few more… : The Niagara Movement Declaration: "We refuse to allow the impression to : remain that the Negro-American assents to inferiority, is submissive : under oppression and apologetic before insults."  (With the change of : one word, that could be BN’s standard.  :-)) : Now there’s a thought! : The Equal Rights Amendment:  "Equality of rights under the law shall not : be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of : sex."  Now, I realize that they didn’t mean the pre-marital sex of one’s : biological parents, but I think that can and should be inferred. : Sue, I do like this one. May I have your permission to repost it to AIML, INCLUDING your hysterically funny (and again, quite appropriate!) comment?? : And a few oddities: : "When they circumcised Herbert Samuel, they threw away the wrong bit." :                           David Lloyd George, British P.M., 1916-22. : hehehe – love it! I choked on my pepsi when I read this this afternoon, and am still chuckling!! <SNIP some more… : Something that Marley wrote some weeks ago resulted in my finding these : Mikhail Bakunin quotes: : "It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their : social environment moral.  And that can be done in only one way; by : assuring the triumph of justice, that is, the complete liberty of : everyone in the most perfect equality for all.  Inequality of conditions : and rights, and the resulting lack of liberty for all, is the great : collective iniquity begetting all individual iniquities." : excellent <SNIP : "Being free for man means being acknowledged, considered and treated as : such by another man, and by all the men around him.  … Far from being : a limitation or a denial of my liberty, the liberty of another is its : necessary condition and confirmation." more excellent! : And finally this one dedicated to certain "regular": : "What you have here is an administration that has set its hair on fire : and is trying to put out the fire with a hammer."           U.S.A., 1988 : should I guess who??!! Thanks, Sue – esp. the circumcision one – best laugh I’ve had all day!! Joanne Nichols Bastard Nation …my own opinions…

Response:

Filed under: Civil disobedience

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