The War on Terror has been and continues to be, above all, a war on the most basic liberties and political safeguards that we're all taught are what distinguishes the US and keeps it free.

Secrecy is the linchpin of abuse of power, . . . its enabling force. Transparency is the only real antidote.

Transparency is for those who carry out public duties and exercise public power. Privacy is for everyone else.

The ultimate test of a society's freedom is not how it treats its good, obedient, compliant citizens; it's how it treats its dissidents.

Edward Snowden: The Whistleblower Behind the NSA Surveillance Revelations

It's hard to imagine a more potent sign of a weak, declining empire than having one's national 'credibility' depend upon periodically bombing other countries.

When you cheer for the erosion of Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs rights, you're cheering for the erosion of your own.

The definition of an extreme authoritarian is one who is willing blindly to assume that government accusations are true without any evidence presented or opportunity to contest those accusations.

Terrorism': the word that means nothing, yet justifies everything.

Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.

Terrorist', noun: 1. Someone my government tells me is a terrorist; 2. Someone my President decides to kill.

When we kissed for the second time, we didn't stop (couldn't).

Unconditional love is the greatest gift of all" ~ The Soul Bearers, by Sylvia Massara

Sometimes there is such beauty in awkwardness.

To understand the universe, look deep into your heart.

Everything you perceive, externally, is the manifestation of some internal part of you. If it was not, it would not be present in your perceived reality.

Nothing is as horrendous as imagining the times of happiness from an environment which is that of hell.

When Washington visited Portsmouth in 1789, he was not much impressed by the architecture of the little town that had stood by him so stoutly in the struggle for independence.

Slowly, desolately, the fist of what we'd done unclenched the clawed palm of what we'd become.

Have you read your Bible or has the Bible read you?

I just do the best I can under the circumstances.