Political Quotes

“I usually don't give such lengthy speeches, but today I will be on the floor for a little while, and I have 12 sections to my speech. The first section is on voting rights, of course. The first section is history, equality, democracy, and the Founders' vision. And I begin with a quote. To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men [and women] are naturally in and that is a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other [person]. John Locke published those words in England anonymously-- anonymously--exactly 100 years before the Constitution of the United States came into effect a very, very long time ago, at least to the human mind. They were published not in the era of Republics but of kingdoms; not of Presidents but of Monarchs; not of citizens but rather subjects. It was an era when many argued and took up arms for the idea that the King derived power from the decrees of Heaven, and here John Locke said, no, political power, in fact, comes from free individuals. These words were circulated for years in secret--in secret--because to hold these views back then was treason. Locke went further: The natural state is also one of equality in which all power and jurisdiction is reciprocal, and no one has more than another.…”