If patriotism were defined, not as blind obedience to government, not as submissive worship to flags and anthems, but rather as love of one's country, one's fellow citizens (all over the world), as loyalty to the principles of justice and democracy, then patriotism would require us to disobey our government, when it violated those principles. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 118.
Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger. -- Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials.
It's amazing how some students refuse to take an instructor's advice on how to succeed and then get angry with the instructor when they (the students) don't succeed. -- Joe Heafner
Light pollution is a concern for us, not for them. They don't know it's there. -- Brian Hissom, M.A., N.C.C., L.P.C., Catawba Valley Astronomy Club, 2004-03-09.
I would hope that my faith is not so weak as to require proof. I would hope that my critical thinking ability is not so impaired as to require faith. -- Brian Hissom, M.A., N.C.C., L.P.C.
Money dominates the election process. The candidate for national office either has to have millions of dollars or have access to millions of dollars. (In 1982 a senator from Minnesota spent $7 million on his campaign.) Money buys advertising, prime time on television, a public image. The candidates then have a certain obligation to those with money who supported them. They must look good to the people who voted for them, but be good to those who financed them. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 254-255.
Someone once put a sign on a bridge over the Charles River in Boston: If Voting Could Change Things, It Would Be Illegal. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 257.
When patriotism, politics, religion, and education become enjoined it's time to reevaluate all four. -- Joe Heafner. Letter to editor of Hickory Daily Record.
It is a special irony that in schools and colleges -- supposed to be special places for the free dissemination of ideas -- it can be dangerous to express yourself. The power of the high-school principal or the school board or the university president or the board of trustees is far more important than the words of the First Amendment. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 202.
The mood of the government became the mood of vigilantism, which might be expressed this way: We are good. Our enemy is evil. We mustn't tie our hands with the law, the Constitution, democratic procedures, or the ordinary rules of decency. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 220.
The excuse for covert action is that telling the truth will endanger the country, while secrecy will save lives. But secrecy may result in the taking of people's lives, behind the backs of the public, which if it knew what was happening, might stop it. People were killed in the coup that put the shah back on the throne of Iran; many more were killed by the shah's police afterward. The secret operation in Guatemala resulted in a police state that later killed tens of thousands of Guatemalans. In the invasion of Cuba, thousands died. Secrecy did not save lives. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 221.
A little-noticed clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Section 2, says that if citizens are unfairly denied the right to vote, the representation in Congress of that state can be reduced. This would be the job of the president, who officially gets the census and decides on the number of representatives from each state. But no president, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, had ever invoked this part of the Constitution -- although it would have been a powerful weapon against racial discrimination in voting. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 251-252.
Many states have provisions for initiatives and referenda. Citizens, by petition, can initiate legislation, call for general referenda, change the laws and the Constitution. That leads to a lively discussion among the public and something close to a real democratic decision. Except that so long as there are wealthy corporations dominating the media with their money, they can virtually buy a referendum the way they now buy elections. -- Howard Zinn. Declarations of Independence (HarperCollins, 1990). Page 256-257.
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions. -- Albert Einstein
Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity. -- Albert Einstein
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. -- Albert Einstein
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
The important thing is not to stop questioning. -- Albert Einstein
The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible. -- Albert Einstein
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. -- Albert Einstein
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler. -- Albert Einstein
If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. -- Albert Einstein
The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself. -- Sir Richard Francis Burton
With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. -- Steven Weinberg
Choose a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life. -- Confucius
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. -- Sinclair Lewis
Knowledge is power. Knowledge is also a threat to power. -- Joe Heafner
Education without supporting evidence is dogma at best and propaganda at worst. -- Joe Heafner
Authority without supporting evidence is worship at best and fascism at worst. -- Joe Heafner
Cynicism is for me what that first morning cup of coffee is to other people. -- Joe Heafner
Learning science requires much more than just learning science. -- Joe Heafner
Every course you take is the most important course you take. -- Joe Heafner
You can't fix something that's designed to be broken. -- Joe Heafner
Don't try to solve a problem that doesn't exist. You'll only create a new problem. -- Joe Heafner
You can't truly learn something unless you give serious thought to how you would teach it to someone else. -- Joe Heafner
If you accept one superstition, you have no basis for rejecting any of them. -- Joe Heafner
I can’t top this, and it’s too long to type out.