"The fantastical idea of virtue and the..." - Quote by Thomas Jefferson
The fantastical idea of virtue and the public good being a sufficient security to the state against the commission of crimes, which you say you have heard insisted on by some, I assure you was never mine.
More by Thomas Jefferson
“Let the farmer forevermore be honored in his calling; for they who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God.”
“Who then can so softly bind up the wound of another as he who has felt the same wound himself.”
“The protection of our citizens, the spirit and honor of our country, requirethat force should be interposed to a certain degree.”
More on Virtue
“Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?”
“Courage is the first virtue that makes all other virtues possible.”
“Our life evokes our character. You find out more about yourself as you go on. That's why it's good to put yourself in situations that will evoke your higher nature rather than your lower.”
More on Crime
“I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer's lobby. But I also believe that when a gangbanger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels someone disrespected him, we have a problem of morality. Not only do we need to punish that man for his crime, but we need to acknowledge that there's a hole in his heart, one that government programs alone may not be able to repair.”
“Last week I was walking by a cemetery, two guys came after me with shovels. It was all about money.”
“I never sympathise with the accused unless there's a chance the accused is not guilty, but I certainly don't ever sympathise with the criminal.”