Clarence Darrow Quotes

It must always be remembered that all laws are naturally and inevitably evolved by the strongest force in a community, and in the last analysis made for the protection of the dominant class.
CLARENCE DARROW

Class Community Domination Law Myself Natural Protection Remember
The trouble with law is lawyers.
CLARENCE DARROW

Law Lawyer Trouble
There is no such crime as a crime of thought; there are only crimes of action.
CLARENCE DARROW

Action Crime Thinking
The nation that would to-day disarm its soldiers and turn its people to the paths of peace would accomplish more to its building up than by all the war taxes wrong from its hostile and unwilling serfs.
CLARENCE DARROW

Accomplishment Nation Path People Tax Willing Wrong
I had grown tired of standing in the lean and lonely front line facing the greatest enemy that ever confronted man — public opinion.
CLARENCE DARROW

Face Greatness Growth Lonely Myself Opinion Stand
The purpose of life is to live it.
CLARENCE DARROW

Life Live One Liner Purpose
Religion is the belief in future life and in God. I don’t believe in either.
CLARENCE DARROW

Belief Future God Life Myself Religion
It is just as often a great misfortune to be the child of the rich as it is to be the child of the poor. Wealth has its misfortunes. Too much, too great opportunity and advantage given to a child has its misfortunes.
CLARENCE DARROW

Children Greatness Misfortune Opportunity Rich
There is a soul of truth in error; there is a soul of good in evil.
CLARENCE DARROW

Errors Evil Soul Truth
Can any rational person believe that the Bible is anything but a human document?
CLARENCE DARROW

Believe Document Human Personal
If a man is happy in America, it is considered he is doing something wrong.
CLARENCE DARROW

Happiness Himself Man Wrong
We are turning our prisons into living tombs, inhabited by doomed men living in everlasting blank despair.
CLARENCE DARROW

Blank Forever Home Live Man Prison
Nothing is so loved by tyrants as obedient subjects.
CLARENCE DARROW

Love Obedience Subject
Instead of yielding to idle conversation it might profit one to cultivate silence and contemplation.
CLARENCE DARROW

Contemplation Conversation Cultivation Silence
The ability and inclination to use physical strength is no indication of bravery or tenacity to life. The greatest cowards are often the greatest bullies. Nothing is cheaper and more common than physical bravery.
CLARENCE DARROW

Ability Bravery Coward Greatness Life Physical Strength
Freedom comes from human beings, rather than from laws and institutions.
CLARENCE DARROW

Freedom Human Institution Law
As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever.
CLARENCE DARROW

Forever Object Rebel World Wrong
An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral.
CLARENCE DARROW

Greatness Idea Monument
Men have always been obliged to fight to preserve liberty. Constitutions and laws do not safeguard liberty. It can be preserved only by a tolerant people, and this means eternal conflict.
CLARENCE DARROW

Conflict Fight Forever Liberty Man Obligation Preservation Tolerance
None meet life honestly and few heroically.
CLARENCE DARROW

Hero Honesty Life
I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction.
CLARENCE DARROW

Kill Myself Notice Reading Satisfaction
You can only be free if I am free.
CLARENCE DARROW

Freedom Myself One Liner
For to know all is to understand all, and this leaves no room for judgment and condemnation.
CLARENCE DARROW

Judgement Leaving Room Understand
Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for.
CLARENCE DARROW

Fight Oneself Reason
The most human thing we can do is comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
CLARENCE DARROW

Afflict Comfortable Compassionate Human
We know life is futile. A man who considers that his life is of very wonderful importance is awfully close to a padded cell.
CLARENCE DARROW

Close Important Life Man Wonderful
No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed.
CLARENCE DARROW

Offense Oppression Severe Visit

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