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Peace

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“What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void The world can never fill.”
William Cowper (1731–1800) said by 1800 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Criminals are never materially handicapped by such rules; the only effect is to disarm the peaceful citizen and put him fully at the mercy of the lawless. Such rules look very pretty on paper; in practice they are as foolish and footless as the attempt of the mice to bell the cat. Such is my thesis, that the licensing of weapons is subversive of liberty and self-defeating in its pious purpose.”
Robert A. Heinlein (1907–1988) said by 1988 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The worst criminals were not the men who did the deed. The crime of mobs and courtiers, infuriated by the lust of vengeance and of power, is not so strange a portent as the exultation of peaceful men, influenced by no present injury or momentary rage, but by the permanent and incurable perversion of moral sense wrought by a distorted piety.”
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton (1834–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not all Muslims may be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims — at least all terrorists capable of assembling a murderous plot against America that leaves 7,000 people dead in under two hours. How are we to distinguish the peaceful Muslims from the fanatical, homicidal Muslims about to murder thousands of our fellow citizens?”
Ann Coulter (born 1961) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Future widows of America: Write your congressman" in Jewish World Review (September 28, 2001).
“It is peaceful here. I am far from the fishmongers and the drainers and the wine-peddlers and all those others whose songs of commerce clang in the streets of cities. A man can think; a man can look within his soul, and find those things that have been the shaping of him, and draw them forth, and examine them, and come to know himself.”
Robert Silverberg (born 1935) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Let’s be clear: Islam is not our adversary. Muslims are peaceful and tolerant people and have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism.”
Hillary Clinton (born 1947) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Tweet (19 November 2015)
“I'd better quit my talking, 'cause I told you all I know, But please remember, pardner, wherever you may go, The people are building a peaceful world, and when the job is done That'll be the biggest thing that man has ever done.”
Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) said by 1967 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There must be renewed recognition that societies are kept stable and healthy by reform, not by thought police; this means there must be free play for so-called subversive ideas - every idea subverts the old to make way for the new. To shut off subversion is to shut off peaceful progress and to invite revolution and war.”
I. F. Stone (1907–1989) first seen 1954 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: I.F. Stone's Weekly (1954-03-15)
“Since I have possessed a "Wonderland Stamp Case", Life has been bright and peaceful, and I have used no other. I believe the Queen's laundress uses no other.”
Lewis Carroll (1832–1898) said by 1898 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Apparently some fire-eaters to-day have been saying "Never again must we allow ourselves to get into the same condition of military unpreparedness, so we are going to build up a vast war machine in this country in order to surround defeated Germany with a sea of peaceful tranquillity..." It looks as though the consequences of defeat will be more desirable than those of victory.”
Aneurin Bevan (1897–1960) first seen 1559 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Hansard, House of Commons 5th series, vol. 402, col. 1559.
“Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of a million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.”
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Those who have the strength and the love to sit with a dying patient in the silence that goes beyond words will know that this moment is neither frightening nor painful, but a peaceful cessation of the functioning of the body.”
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926–2004) said by 2004 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are not for Assad, neither for his opponents, We want to achieve the situation where the violence ends and there won’t be large-scale civil war. How many of peaceful people were killed by so-called militants? Did you count? There are also hundreds of victims. What is happening in Libya, in Iraq? Did they become safer? Where are they heading? Nobody has an answer.”
Vladimir Putin (born 1952) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Regarding a statement by of "the need for Assad to leave". (June 1, 2012)
“The libertarian creed, finally, offers the fulfillment of the best of the American past along with the promise of a far better future. Even more than conservatives... libertarians are squarely in the great classical liberal tradition that built the United States and bestowed on us the American heritage of individual liberty, a peaceful foreign policy, minimal government, and a free-market economy.”
Murray Rothbard (1926–1995) said by 1995 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I think the next president needs to be a lot quieter, but send a signal that we are prepared to act in the national security interest of this country to get back in the business of creating a more peaceful world. Please clap.”
Jeb Bush (born 1953) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Voters Might Not Miss Jeb Bush, but Campaign Reporters Will (22 February 2016).
“Female animals defending their young are notoriously ferocious and lack the playful delight in combat which characterizes the mock combats of males of the same species. There seems very little ground for claiming that the mother of young children is more peaceful, more responsible, and more thoughtful for the welfare of the human race than is her husband or brother.”
Margaret Mead (1901–1978) said by 1978 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It logically follows that, in today's multicultural world, the truly reliable path to coexistence, to peaceful coexistence and creative cooperation, must start from what is at the root of all cultures and what lies infinitely deeper in human hearts and minds than political opinion, convictions, antipathies, or sympathies — it must be rooted in self-transcendence:”
Václav Havel (1936–2011) said by 2011 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Reality is apparent when one ceases to compare. — There is "what is" only when there is no comparison at all, and to live with what is, is to be peaceful.”
Bruce Lee (1940–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We must have friendship for all; we must be merciful toward those that are in misery; when people are happy, we ought to be happy; and to the wicked we must be indifferent. These attitudes will make the mind peaceful.”
Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) said by 1902 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Press bravely onward! — not in vain Your generous trust in human kind; The good which bloodshed could not gain Your peaceful zeal shall find.”
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) said by 1892 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: To the Reformers of England, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)
“I am a very peaceful man. I love people and am known for my gregarious personality. However, if you try to confiscate my guns, I will feel compelled to give them to you, one bullet at a time.”
Michael Badnarik (1954–2022) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Source: Good to be King (2004)
“Human destiny will be what we make of it. And here in Prague, let us honor our past by reaching for a better future. Let us bridge our divisions, build upon our hopes, accept our responsibility to leave this world more prosperous and more peaceful than we found it. Together we can do it.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“With courage and purpose, with humility and with hope, with faith in the promise of tomorrow, let us march straightforward together, enduring allies in the cause of a world that is more peaceful, more prosperous, and more just.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“And we did so based on the belief that while these transitions will be hard and take time, societies based upon democracy and openness and the dignity of the individual will ultimately be more stable, more prosperous, and more peaceful.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) first seen 2013 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Remarks by President Obama in Address to the United Nations General Assembly (24 September 2013)
“Terrorists who try to sow chaos, they must be met with force and they must also be met, though, with a forceful commitment to uphold the rule of law, and respect for human rights, and to treat everybody who’s peaceful and law-abiding fairly and equally.”
Barack Obama (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They put the cold dirt over him and left me on my own And when at last I looked up I saw I was not alone So I said— If you're a relative, he had a peaceful end. She said— My name is Corey— you can say I'm just a friend.”
Harry Chapin (1942–1981) said by 1981 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“ASEAN's commitment transcends limited and localised national outlooks, and so renders possible a more daring programme for the future based on a peaceful and stable Southeast Asia.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Malaysia welcomes the setting up of the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea under the Presidency of His Highness Prince Sihanouk as a positive step towards the peaceful resolution of the Kampuchea issue.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Not being known in America is actually a good thing — it means that we are peaceful and stable.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Often times we disagree on methods but that should not blind us to the fact that essentially we seek the same objectives: a peaceful and stable international environment based on justice and equality for all nations.”
Mahathir Mohamad (born 1925) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I am writing to you in the hope that the conflict in Vietnam can be brought to an end. That conflict has already taken a heavy toll-in lives lost, in wounds inflicted, in property destroyed, and in simple human misery. If we fail to find a just and peaceful solution, history will judge us harshly.”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We have tried over the past several years, in a variety of ways and through a number of channels, to convey to you and your colleagues our desire to achieve a peaceful settlement. For whatever reasons, these efforts have not achieved any results. . . .”
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973) said by 1973 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A revolution is coming — a revolution which will be peaceful if we are wise enough; compassionate if we care enough; successful if we are fortunate enough — But a revolution which is coming whether we will it or not. We can affect its character; we cannot alter its inevitability.”
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968) first seen 1966 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Robert F. Kennedy, in a speech in the US Senate (9 May 1966)
Also quoted by: John F. Kennedy (misattributed)
“I found criminal clients easy and matrimonial clients hard. Matrimonial clients hate each other so much and use their children to hurt each other in beastly ways. Murderers have usually killed the one person in the world that was bugging them and they're usually quite peaceful and agreeable.”
John Mortimer (1923–2009) first seen 2009 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Rumpole creator Mortimer dies at 85" by Sam Marsden and Chris Moncrieff, The Independent (16 January 2009)
“From the ancient strife of territorial acquisition we are labouring, I trust and believe, to substitute another, a peaceful and a fraternal strife among nations, the honest and the noble race of industry and art.”
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898) first seen 1852 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: An Examination of the official reply of the Neapolitan Government (1852), p. 50
“Women are not inherently passive or peaceful. We're not inherently anything but human.”
Robin Morgan (1941–2026) first seen 1977 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Going Too Far: The Personal Chronicle of a Feminist (1977). New York: Random House. . (1978 ed, .), p 70. (possibly also published as Going Too Far: The Personal Documents of a Feminist) ("there is no 'too far,'" id., p…
“My home is my paradise. When I come home at night, I feel an overall peaceful sensation. We will never give this place up.”
Gloria Estefan (born 1957) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: People en Espanol magazine (April, 2004)
“Roland the headless Thompson gunner, Norway's bravest son. Time, time, time For another peaceful war. But time stands still for Roland 'Til he evens up the score. They can still see his headless body stalking through the night In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun; In the muzzle flash of Roland's Thompson gun.”
Warren Zevon (1947–2003) said by 2003 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“When this old world starts getting me down And people are just too much for me to face, I climb way up to the top of the stairs And all my cares just drift right into space. On the roof, it's peaceful as can be And there the world below can't bother me. Let me tell you now.”
Carole King (born 1942) first seen 1962 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Up on the Roof (1962), co-written with Gerry Goffin, performed by The Drifters
“No woman has ever stepped on Little America — and we have found it to be the most silent and peaceful place in the world.”
Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957) first seen 1955 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in The Oakland Tribune (26 November 1955)
“So from the heights of Will Life's parting stream descends, And, as a moment turns its slender rill, Each widening torrent bends,From the same cradle's side, From the same mother's knee, —One to long darkness and the frozen tide, One to the Peaceful Sea!”
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809–1894) said by 1894 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They want a race war. We must be peaceful people. They are gonna poke and poke and poke, and our government is going to stand by and let them do it. We must be — we must take the role of Martin Luther King, because I do not believe that Martin Luther King believed in, "Kill all white babies.”
Glenn Beck (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“If we all work together, we can foster greater understanding, positive change and create a more peaceful world for ourselves, our children, our families and our communities.”
Michael Jordan (born 1963) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Michael Jordan: ‘I can no longer stay silent’, The Undefeated (July 25, 2016)
“It is quiet and peaceful here, the air is good, there are numerous gardens, and in them nightingales sing and spies lurk under the bushes.”
Maxim Gorky (1868–1936) said by 1936 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We come here with no peaceful intent, but ready for battle, determined to avenge our wrongs and set our country free. Let your masters come and attack us: we are ready to meet them beard to beard.”
William Wallace (1270–1305) first seen 1297 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement before the Battle of Stirling Bridge (11 September 1297), as quoted in History of Scotland (1841) by Patrick Fraser Tytler, p. 121
“You can't build a peaceful world on empty stomachs and human misery.”
Norman Borlaug (1914–2009) said by 2009 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: From "Eat This!", an episode of Penn and Teller's Bullsh#t!; Quoted in: Gary Beene (2011) The Seeds We Sow: Kindness that Fed a Hungry World. p. 9
“We need to marshal and direct our energy toward building this nation into a peaceful, prosperous and proud bequest to our children.”
Epeli Ganilau (1951–2023) said by 2023 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Regrettably, this Bill appears to remove everything that the late Tui Nayau worked for, that is respect for the rule of law and everything he stood for unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence.”
Koila Nailatikau (born 1953) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I like happy things, I'm really calm and peaceful I like birds, bees, I like people I like funny things that make me happy and gleeful… Like when my teacher sucked my wee-wee in pre-school!”
Eminem (born 1972) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We will not leave the monster to prowl the world unopposed, He must cease to annoy the abode of peaceful men. If he retire into the cell, whether of solitude or repentance, thither we will not pursue him; but we cannot leave him on the throne of power.”
William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806) first seen 1799 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech in the House of Commons (7 June 1799), quoted in The Speeches of the Right Honourable William Pitt, in the House of Commons. Vol. III. (1806), p. 422