THE SPIRIT OF LIBERTY
What is the spirit of liberty? I cannot define it; I can only tell you my own faith. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women. The spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interest alongside its own without bias. The spirit of liberty remembers that not even a sparrow falls to the earth unheeded. The spirit of liberty is the spirit of Him who, nearly two thousand years ago, taught mankind the lesson it has never learned, but has never quite forgotten: that there maybe a kingdom where the least shall be heard and considered side by side with the greatest. Learned Hand, as quoted in The Treasure Chest, (Harper & Row, San Francisco, 1965).
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