WEIRD TIMES

These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

Excerpt from Thomas Paine’s, The Crisis

Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.

Thomas Paine

Tags: FREEDOM, Thomas Paine

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010 at 2:10 pm and is filed under Dispatches from the Edge. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.