Meaning Of This Quote?

Question

What is the meaning of this quote?

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

-Benjamin Franklin

Answer 1

People who trade their rights to live just so someone stops bullying for a while them are a waste of life.

Probably applying to the colonial dispute when Britain was running America like a tyranny and some people just gave up and followed Britain so they would be spared, but they quieted their conscious telling them that Britain was bad.

Answer 2

Considering the times he lived in,

He could mean the rights that a person should be allowed. A modern day example would be the Patriot Act. It restricted some rights as a means of keeping America safe against terrorism.

One item was that the government would have been allowed to monitor your e-mail citing National Security.

Many people found this acceptable because YOU might be a terrorist.

It is something like that, that I believe he was refering to.

Answer 3

Those who give up essential liberty ( rights ) for a little safety should have neither. Example: I give up my right to eat when I want to so some guy can protect me.

Answer 4

It says that the patriot act is the worst thing that has ever been written and enacted on a Free democracy.

Answer 5

it means people that are willing to give up their freedom to be safe for a little bit doesnt deserve freedom or liberty

Answer 6

Its basically means anyone who give up something important such as love, for something that brings them a temporary pleasure such as s*x with another partner, deserves niether the satisfaction of love or the would be pleasure they would recieve from the partner they woudl cheat on.

Or in this case

Anyone who would give up their human rights just to be safe, does not deserve to be protected or their human rights.

Answer 7

basically this quote meant that if people were not willing to fight for there freedom from the british at the time, only to be safe from being killed by the british, they don't deserve freedom in the first place.

Answer 8

You have to like understand it on you own. I get what it means just by reading it and really looking at each word. I can't put it into words but im sure someone else who answers can give a better anwswer. Sorry

Good Night

♥ Tori

Answer 9

That you shouldn't give up freedom for your safety, and if you do you deserve neither. For example the French collaborated with the n***s in WWII, mainly in the hope that there would be less deaths etc- therefore they gave up their freedom for safety.

Basically it means stand up for yourself, voice your opinions, and don't always go with the safe option, because the people who take the safe.easy option don't really have a life at all.

Answer 10

its like if u give up ur religion to not get killed, ur unfaithful and u deserve nothing.