These militia quotes will inspire you. Militia, a military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency.
A collection of motivating, happy, and encouraging militia quotes, militia sayings, and militia proverbs.
Best Militia Quotes
- “I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people except for a few public officials.” ~ George Mason
- “A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained in arms, is the best most natural defense of a free country.” ~ James Madison
- “Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man gainst his own bosom. Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an Americans.” ~ Tench Coxe
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“What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British parliament was advised by an artful man [Sir William Keith], who was governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people. That it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them. But that they should not do it openly; but to weaken them and let them sink gradually, by totally disusing and neglecting the militia.” ~ George Mason
- “The militia is our ultimate safety. We can have no security without it. The great object is that every man be armed.” ~ Patrick Henry
- “What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty … Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins.” ~ Elbridge Gerry
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“For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “Militias, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves and include all men capable of bearing arms. […] To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them.” ~ Richard Henry Lee
- “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of.” ~ James Madison
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“To disarm the people… was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.” ~ George Mason
- “Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? Where is the difference between having our arms in possession and under our direction, and having them under the management of Congress? If our defense be the real object of having those arms, in whose hands can they be trusted with more propriety, or equal safety to us, as in our own hands?” ~ Patrick Henry
- “Arms, like laws, discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe and preserve order.” ~ Thomas Paine
- “By calling attention to ‘a well regulated militia,’ ‘the security of the nation,’ and the right of each citizen ‘to keep and bear arms,’ our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy… The Second Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason I believe the Second Amendment will always be important.” ~ John F. Kennedy
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“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” ~ James Madison
- “Whereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service on every occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding against it.” ~ Richard Henry Lee
- “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “A well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.” ~ George Mason
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“I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.” ~ George Mason
- “The powers of the sword are in the hands of the yeomanry of America from sixteen to sixty. The militia of these free commonwealths, entitled and accustomed to their arms, when compared with any possible army, must be tremendous and irresistible. Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his own bosom. Congress has no power to disarm the militia.” ~ Tench Coxe
- “Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed, as they are in almost every country in Europe.” ~ Noah Webster
- “A militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves… and include all men capable of bearing arms.” ~ Richard Henry Lee
- “The President, and government, will only control the militia when a part of them is in the actual service of the federal government, else, they are independent and not under the command of the president or the government. The states would control the militia, only when called out into the service of the state, and then the governor would be commander in chief where enumerated in the respective state constitution.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
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“The people have a right to keep and bear arms.” ~ Patrick Henry
- “To place any dependence upon militia, is, assuredly, resting upon a broken staff.” ~ George Washington
- “The National Rifle Association is always arguing that the Second Amendment determines the right to bear arms. But I think it really is the people’s right to bear arms in a militia. The NRA thinks it protects their right to have Teflon-coated bullets. But that’s not the original understanding.” ~ Robert Bork
- “The militia, who are in fact the effective part of the people at large, will render many troops quite unecessary. They will form a powerful check upon the regular troops, and will generally be sufficient to over-awe them.” ~ Tench Coxe
- “Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States.” ~ Noah Webster
- “The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpations of power by rulers. It is against sound policy for a free people to keep up large military establishments and standing armies in time of peace, both from the enormous expenses, with which they are attended, and the facile means, which they afford to ambitious and unprincipled rulers, to subvert the government, or trample upon the rights of the people.” ~ Joseph Story
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“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. – Second Amendment to the Constitution An armed society is a polite society.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein
- “…that standing army can never be formidable (threatening) to the liberties of the people, while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in the use of arms.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
- “Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
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“This [a state militia system] appears to me the only substitute that can be devised for a standing army, and the best possible security against it, if it should exist.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
- “The militia is a voluntary force not associated or under the control of the States except when called out; [ when called into actual service] a permanent or long standing force would be entirely different in make-up and call.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
- “Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation…. Notwithstanding the military establishments in the several kingdoms of Europe, which are carried as far as the public resources will bear, the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.” ~ James Madison
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“By the last returns to the Department of War the militia force of the several States may be estimated at 800,000 men – infantry, artillery, and cavalry.” ~ James Monroe
- “Such are a well regulated militia, composed of the freeholders, citizen and husbandman, who take up arms to preserve their property, as individuals, and their rights as freemen.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
- “The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered as the palladium of the liberties of a republic.” ~ Joseph Story
- “Little more can reasonably be aimed at with respect to the people at large than to have them properly armed.” ~ Alexander Hamilton
- “A military force, at the command of Congress, can execute no laws, but such as the people perceive to be just and constitutional; for they will possess the power, and jealousy will instantly inspire the inclination, to resist the execution of a law which appears to them unjust and oppressive.” ~ Noah Webster
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“The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws.” ~ John Adams
- “Who are the militia, if they be not the people, of this country…? I ask who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers.” ~ George Mason
- “It is not certain that with this aid alone [possession of arms], they would not be able to shake off their yokes. But were the people to posses the additional advantages of local governments chosen by themselves, who could collect the national will, and direct the national force; and of officers appointed out of the militia, by these governments and attached both to them and to the militia, it may be affirmed with the greatest assurance, that the throne of every tyranny in Europe would be speedily overturned, in spite of the legions which surround it.” ~ James Madison
- “The great object is that every man be armed.” ~ Patrick Henry
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“Are we at last brought to such an humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense?” ~ Patrick Henry
- “A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “Hizbullah is not a militia.” ~ Bashar al-Assad
- “An armed and trained militia is the firmest bulwark of republics – that without standing armies their liberty can never be in danger, nor with large ones safe.” ~ James Madison
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“I am a Colorado native, and, no, I did not vote for the anti-gay amendment or the same-sex marriage ban, and I am not a member of a militia.” ~ Connie Willis
- “The militia is the natural defense of a free country against sudden foreign invasions, domestic insurrections, and domestic usurpation of power by rulers. The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms has justly been considered, as the palladium of the liberties of the republic; since it offers a strong moral check against the usurpation and arbitrary power of rulers; and will generally … enable the people to resist and triumph over them.” ~ Joseph Story
- “Secondly, the Government of Sudan should commit to the disarmament and control of the Janjaweed militia and ensure that the targeting of civilians ceases immediately.” ~ Jan Egeland
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“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “Who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people, except a few public officers. But I cannot say who will be the militia of the future day. If that paper on the table [the Constitution] gets no alteration, the militia of the future day may not consist of all classes, high and low, and rich and poor.” ~ George Mason
- “For an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “A strong body makes the mind strong.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “Until and unless we could disband these militias, this country won’t be able to function properly.” ~ Adnan Pachachi
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“The serious crimes by the Sudanese government and the government-supported militias must be met with serious consequences. We must work for tough international economic sanctions on the Sudanese government.” ~ Allyson Schwartz
- “I’m not afraid of the press or the Militia.” ~ Mother Jones
- “Have we the means of resisting disciplined armies, when our only defense, the militia, is put in the hands of Congress? Of what service would militia be to you when, most probably, you will not have a single musket in the state? For, as arms are to be provided by Congress, they may or may not provide them.” ~ Patrick Henry
- “The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world not destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside … Horrid mischief would ensue were one half the world deprived of the use of them … the weak will become prey to the strong.” ~ Thomas Paine
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“Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property… Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.” ~ Thomas Paine
- “Wherever standing armies are kept up, and when the right of the people to keep and bear arms is, under any color or pretext whatsoever, prohibited, liberty, if not already annihilated, is on the brink of destruction.” ~ St. George Tucker
- “No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
- “In recent years it has been suggested that the Second Amendment protects the “collective” right of states to maintain militias, while it does not protect the right of “the people” to keep and bear arms… If anyone entertained this notion in the period during which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were debated and ratified, it remains one of the most closely guarded secrets of the 18th century, for no known writing surviving from the period between 1787 and 1791 states such a thesis.” ~ Stephen Halbrook
