“Here it is, in quintessence: You are either a man with a gun, or you are mere human cattle for the slaughter. The choice is yours. I prefer to be armed and vigilant rather than being at the mercy of some would-be slave master. There is no notch in my ear.”

—  James Wesley Rawles

Source: Tools For Survival (2009), p. 150

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Here it is, in quintessence: You are either a man with a gun, or you are mere human cattle for the slaughter. The choic…" by James Wesley Rawles?
James Wesley Rawles photo
James Wesley Rawles 26
Survivalist-fiction author and blogger 1960

Related quotes

Robert T. Kiyosaki photo

“To be the master of money, you need to be smarter than it. Then money will do as it is told. It will obey you. Instead of being a slave to it, you will be the master of it. That is financial intelligence.”

Robert T. Kiyosaki (1947) American finance author , investor

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money-That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!

Nelson Mandela photo

“Gandhi himself never ruled out violence absolutely and unreservedly. He conceded the necessity of arms in certain situations. He said, "Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence… I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor …"”

Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) President of South Africa, anti-apartheid activist

2000s, The Sacred Warrior (2000)
Context: Gandhi himself never ruled out violence absolutely and unreservedly. He conceded the necessity of arms in certain situations. He said, "Where choice is set between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence... I prefer to use arms in defense of honor rather than remain the vile witness of dishonor..."

Eagle Woman photo

“Shame on you, cowards to come here, five thousand of you, to slaughter a half-dozen white men. And you come here for what reason? You have been killing their cattle right along, day after day, and not one of them has said anything to you about the loss - and then when you shoot one of your own people, you come here to kill a white man for it ... You are not brave to come here to kill a half-dozen white men!”

Eagle Woman (1820–1888) American peace activist (born 1820, near Big Bend of the Missouri River [in what is now South Dakota], U.S.…

Speech to the same crowd of 5,000, as recounted by a different source, quoted in [Gray, John S., 1986, The Story of Mrs. Picotte-Galpin, a Sioux Heroine: Eagle Woman Becomes a Trader and Counsels for Peace, 1868-1888, https://www.jstor.org/stable/4518988, Montana: The Magazine of Western History, 36, 3, 2–21, 0026-9891]

Julius Caesar photo

“I assure you I had rather be the first man here than the second man in Rome.”

Julius Caesar (-100–-44 BC) Roman politician and general

On passing through a village in the Alps, as attributed in Parallel Lives, by Plutarch, as translated by John Langhorne and William Langhorne (1836), p. 499

Variant: First in a village rather than second in Rome.

Alastair Reynolds photo

“Either you are a man of unusual ability, Thorn, or a man with a rather inadequate grasp of human nature. I just hope it’s the former.”

Alastair Reynolds book Redemption Ark

Source: Redemption Ark (2002), Chapter 27 (p. 495)

“Maalik! You must create in your mind kindness, compassion and love for your subjects. Do not behave towards them as if you are a voracious and ravenous beast and as if your success lies in devouring them.
Remember, Maalik, that amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who have the same religion as you have; they are brothers to you, and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you. Men of either category suffer from the same weaknesses and disabilities that human beings are inclined to, they commit sins, indulge in vices either intentionally or foolishly and unintentionally without realizing the enormity of their deeds. Let your mercy and compassion come to their rescue and help in the same way and to the same extent that you expect Allah to show mercy and forgiveness to you.”

Ali book Nahj al-Balagha

Variant translation:
Awaken your heart to kindness and mercy for the people and love and tenderness for them. Never, never act with them like a predatory beast which seeks to be satiated by devouring them, for the people fall into two categories: they are either your brethren in faith or your kindred in creation.
Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53: An order to Malik Al-Ashtar

“You okay now?" he asked.
"Okay."
He tightened his arms and lifted me off my feet. "Mercy?" he growled into my ear. I wrapped my legs around his waist. " Yeah", I said. "Me too.”

Patricia Briggs book River Marked

Source: River Marked

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude
toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather
than allowing it to master you.”

Brian Tracy (1944) American motivational speaker and writer
Clementine Churchill photo

“I think my Darling you will have to be very patient - Do not burn any boats - The P.M. [ H. H. Asquith ] has not treated you worse than Ll. G has done, in fact not so badly for he is not as much in your debt as the other man, (i.e. Marconi).* On the other hand are the Dardanelles. I feel sure that if the choice were equal you would prefer to work with the P.M. than with LI. G.”

Clementine Churchill (1885–1977) wife of Sir Winston Churchill and a life peeress in her own right

It's true that when association ceases with the P.M. he cools & congeals visibly, but all the time you were at the Admiralty he was loyal & steadfast while the other would barter you away at any time in any place. I assure you he is the direct descendant of Judas Iscariott [sic]. At this moment altho I hate the P.M, if he held out his hand I could take it, (tho' I would give it a nasty twist) but before taking Ll. G's I would have to safeguard myself with charms, touchwoods, exorcisms & by crossing myself -<p> I always can get on with him & yesterday I had a good talk, but you can't hold his eyes, they shift away -<p>You know I'm not good at pretending but I am going to put my pride in my pocket & reconnoitre Downing Street.

Letter: Alderley Park, Chelford, Cheshire, 30th December, 1915

Related topics