Quotes

various sources

The Eagle

The eagle soars and flies in peace
And casts its shadow wide
Across the land, across the seas
Across the far-flung skies

The foolish think the eagle weak
And easy to bring to heel
The Eagle's wings are silken
But its claws are made of steel

The eagle stands for freedom
May we never let it die
And give thanks for all our blessings
As we watch the eagle fly

Sidney Sheldon

Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

Charles de Gaulle, President of France Recalled on leaving the presidency, Life 9 May 69

We here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), U.S. president. speech, Nov. 19, 1863. Gettysburg Address, repr. In Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 7, ed. Roy P. Basler (1953).

The fighting at Gettysburg July 1-3 claimed nearly 50,000 killed or wounded.

Terrorists often claim to be fighting wars, and to be doing no more than is necessary in war. This is nonsense. War is certainly the natural expression of collective resentment; but it occurs between organised groups and is fought openly, against a collective enemy. It is possible to fight a war with undiminished respect for the rights of the enemy individual. Indeed, that is the duty of every soldier. But the terrorist must disregard this duty and disobey the law of war. His feelings towards the individual are abolished by his loathing of the group, and it is this -rather than his cowardice, cruelty, or intemporate hate- that constitutes his true moral corruption.

Roger Scruton (b. 1944), British philosopher, author. Waging War on the Individual, Untimely Tracts, St. Martin's (1987).

What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.

Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965), U.S. Democratic politician. Speech, August 27, 1952, to American Legion Convention, New York City. The Nature of Patriotism.

Fighting terrorism is like being a goalkeeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past you.

Paul Wilkinson (b. 1937), British scholar, author on terrorism. Daily Telegraph (London, Sept. 1, 1992).