On the record
And yet our government is absurd enough to assume that a man can be protected in his rights, after he has surrendered them altogether into other hands than his own.
Said by
Lysander Spooner
Source
gutenberg.orgLysander Spooner: “And yet our government is absurd enough to assume that a man can be protected in his rights, after he has surrendered…”
Editor's note · Context
Spooner critiques the absurdity of believing one can be protected in their rights after surrendering them to others.
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More from Lysander Spooner
They do not tell us of the almshouses, hospitals, schools, churches, etc., which, out of the purest charity and benevolence, they maintain for our benefit, out of the money they take from us.
When they have once taken our money, they have the decency to get out of our sight as soon as possible; they do not persist in following us, and robbing us, again and again, so long as we produce anything that they can take from us.
On the contrary, they acknowledge themselves robbers, murderers, and villains, pure and simple.
They do not carry their heads high, above all other men, and demand our reverence and admiration, as statesmen, patriots, and benefactors.