J. William Fulbright Quotes
When we violate the law ourselves, whatever short-term advantage may be gained, we are obviously encouraging others to violate the law; we thus encourage disorder and instability and thereby do incalculable damage to our own long-term interests.
Fulbright, J. William. The Arrogance of Power. Random House, 1966.
The speech was in the midst of a very bitter strike where goons and strikebreakers assaulted miners and a few miners resorted to violence.
Generally we make laws to try and stop bad actions. Without the bad actions, there would generally be no laws.
This is the classic political problem. It is much easier to determine what is wrong, but much harder to put it right. Politicians who harp on problems vigorously seem to escape the obligation of doing something about the problems.
Selling alcohol and running saloons were against the law then in Kansas but there was no effort to enforce it anywhere in Kansas. Carrie Nation went into saloons and literally smashed the classes, signs, mirrors and furniture with an ax.
James William Fulbright was an American politician, academic, and statesman who represented Arkansas in the United States Senate from 1945 until his resignation in 1974. As of 2021, Fulbright is the longest serving chairman in the history of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He is best known for his staunch multilateralist positions on international issues, opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War, and the creation of the international fellowship program bearing his name, the Fulbright Program.
