Quotes about Rights
In suits at common law, trial by jury in civil cases is as essential to secure the liberty of the people as any one of the pre-existent rights of nature.
— James Madison
A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.
— Thomas Jefferson
The urge to lie is produced by the contradictions in our lives. We are made to declare love for our country, while it tramples our rights and dignity.
— Barbara Kingsolver
Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the existence of justice for all people.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Everyone has a right to peaceful coexistence, the basic personal freedoms, the alleviation of suffering, and the opportunity to lead a productive life.
— Jimmy Carter
True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Without justice, there can be no peace.
— Martin Luther King, Jr.
Violence breeds violence. Acts of violence committed in "justice" or in affirmation of "rights" or in defense of "peace" do not end violence. They prepare and justify its continuation.
— Wendell Berry
'Freedom from fear' could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.
— Dag Hammarskjold
Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.
— Ronald Reagan
In a political context of the utmost significance, ["freedom from fear"] recognizes a human right which, in a broad sense, may be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.
— Dag Hammarskjold
If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be, music and poetry would resound along the streets.
— Henry David Thoreau