• “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.” ~Patrick Henry
  

• “O sir, we should have fine times, indeed, if, to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people! Your arms, wherewith you could defend yourselves, are gone; and you have no longer an aristocratical, no longer a democratical spirit. Did you ever read of any revolution in a nation, brought about by the punishment of those in power, inflicted by those who had no power at all?” ~Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788
  

• “Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.” ~Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788
  

• “For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” ~Patrick Henry
  

• “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” ~Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, 1775
  

• “It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth – and listen to the song of that syren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” –Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, 1775
  

• The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium, the safeguard, of liberties of a Republic since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers. ~Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, Commentaries of The Constitution

• The Foundation of everything is that the people will form an equal representative government, that the people will be universally armed. A people that legislate for themeselves ought to be in the habit of protecting themselves ~Patrick Henry

• The advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, forms a barrier against the enterprise of ambition. Kingdoms of Europe are afraid to trust the people with arms ~James Madison
  

Vigilant, Active, Brave

• “The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.” –Patrick Henry
  

The Foundation . . .

• It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionsts, but by Christians ~Patrick Henry
  

The Illusions of Hope

• “It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth — and listen to the song of that syren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those, who having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it might cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.” –Patrick Henry, speech in the Virginia Convention, 1775