Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, the greatest aspect of Greek influence on our country has its roots in the classical era of ancient Greece--that point in time when the Greek political philosophy of democracy was born. In our political debates today, we can easily see the continuing influence of that classical age in our lives. How different would the world be today if the Greeks of that day had not stood up to the invading armies of the Persian Empire? Unfortunately, although the ancient Greek political philosophers first conceived of democratic self-government, after their time passed, the Greek nation, itself, in fact, became a part of larger empires. It was ruled for centuries by men with unquestioned and arbitrary power over life and death--the antithesis of democracy. By the start of the 1800s, however, the signs were clear. The Greek people saw the opportunity and were determined to win back their independence and to live in liberty once again. The most eloquent advocate for liberty in the nation of Greece in the early 19th century was a freedom fighter and a poet, who, before perishing in the struggle, penned the immortal line, ``Better 1 hour of free life than 40 years of slavery and prison.''”