Yoshida Shoin Quotes

The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms, like law, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property.

One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them.

Arms and laws do not flourish together.

They transact no public or private business without being armed.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

We can do without butter, but, despite all our love of peace, not without arms. One cannot shoot with butter, but with guns.

It has been my aim throughout present operations to afford the greatest amount of protection to life and property interests, and troops have been stationed accordingly.

If you are not prepared to use force to defend civilization, then be prepared to accept barbarism.

When a strong man armed, keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace

A Winchester Rifle should have a place of honor in every black home.

For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security

A right not accompanied by the sword is a lost right.

Libertarians and most conservatives boldly and nobly take a stand for our right to keep and bear arms. Not so we can go duck hunting, but so we can defend ourselves and our families from invasion. And so we can, if necessary, defend our liberty from the possibility of a tyrannical state.

The people of the various provinces are strictly forbidden to have in their possession any swords, short swords, bows, spears, firearms, or other types of arms.

The only persons who do not have a revolver and a knife are those who have two revolvers

No kingdom can be secured otherwise than by arming the people. The possession of arms is the distinction between a freeman and a slave.”

Peace is not just a matter of the absence of violence. It is also necessarily about removing the potential for violence – namely the uncontrolled possession of weapons. It would be naive to believe that anybody can be at ease when it is known that a potential opponent is stockpiling arms, even if the latter swears on whatever he or she believes, that the weapons will not be used. Weapons are meant to be used and pretexts will eventually be found for their use at some point or the other.

Israel carries the shield of democracy and the sword of freedom.

I think these things [firearms] were invented by Satan himself, for they can’t be defended against with [ordinary] weapons and fists. All human strength vanishes when confronted with firearms. A man is dead before he sees what’s coming..

The world needs many more humanitarians than it needs warriors, but there can be none of the former without enough of the latter.

There isn't any real good reason for fighting except self-defense.

I have in the past declared that in order to achieve a real, just and durable peace, I would be willing to make painful compromises. But we cannot make any compromise on the security of our citizens and their right to live without the threat of terrorism and violence.

Wars are to be undertaken in order that it may be possible to live in peace without molestation.

Arms alone can give the world no permanent peace, no confident security. Arms are solely for defense - to protect from violent assault what we already have. They are only a costly insurance. They cannot add to human progress.

I have some security that could protect me against provocations but of course there are more terrible actions that could not be stopped by any security.