Liberian Activist Quotes

A robust Liberian middle-class fosters the advancement of social wealth and a well-educated Liberian society. ~ Henry Johnson Jr

In my life, I have come to realize that people are afraid of a revolution. A true revolution doesn't have to be fought with an AK47, because our words and practice of non-violent can move mountains. ~ Henry Johnson Jr

We don't need to learn about European History in African Schools around the continent, for the media reminds us that every day is EUROPEAN HISTORY. ~ Henry Johnson Jr

After years of watching their patrimony squandered in this way, a large percentage of the [Niger] Delta's population feels abandoned by both national and local politicians, and has settled on illegal bunkering as the most direct way to ensure that they benefit from their own oil wealth. The trouble is that what started as activism has become an industry. In the words of one activist, 'It is becoming increasingly difficult to separate greed from grievance. ~ John Ghazvinian

We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. ~ Wayne Pacelle

Connell doesn't read the campus papers much, but he has still managed to hear about the debating society inviting a neo-Nazi to give a speech. It's all over social media. There was even an article in The Irish Times. Connell hasn't commented on any of the Facebook threads, but has liked several comments calling for the invite to be rescinded, which is probably the most strident political action he has ever taken in his life. ~ Sally Rooney

We can follow the example of those who remembered that the role of an activist is not to navigate systems of oppressive power with as much integrity as possible, but rather to confront and take down those systems. ~ Derrick Jensen

A growing and increasingly influential movement of philosophers, ethicists, law professors and activists are convinced that the great moral struggle of our time will be for the rights of animals. ~ Michael Pollan

I don't think Dr. King helped racial harmony, I think he helped racial justice. What I profess to do is help the oppressed and if I cause a load of discomfort in the white community and the black community, that in my opinion means I'm being effective, because I'm not trying to make them comfortable. The job of an activist is to make people tense and cause social change. ~ Al Sharpton

Unfortunately, I don't think I can call myself an activist because I don't really do enough of anything. ~ Merritt Wever

I see so many activists ... who are artists because they feel that they have the power of communication. ~ Yoko Ono

As a human rights activist it is concerning to me that those committing atrocities against vulnerable people view these atrocities as 'progress', and assert with pride and conviction that they are 'Christians' and that they are doing 'God's will'. ~ Christina Engela

The most passionately anti-Obama Republican politicians and activists consider themselves the truest and purest of conservatives, and often unleash their scorn and fury on others who also call themselves conservative but differ on strategy and tactics. ~ John Podhoretz

There seems to be a psychological law of inertia that bogs down every hopeful activist and subverts every revolution. When compassion and empathy fail, backsliding begins. Or totalitarianism. ~ Patrick Califia-Rice

The world judges the value of human life by physical perfection, but God sees things differently. To Him, we are perfectly lovable in our imperfection. Uplifting for its reverence of human life in its most fragile stages, Waiting for Eli will encourage pro-life activist everywhere, from the most seasoned to the newly initiated. ~ Father Frank Pavone - Priest For Life

Every senator needs to stand up and represent their constituents - not big business, not the ACLU, not activist groups, not political interests, but the American interests, the workers' interests. ~ Jeff Sessions

Activists measure progress against the standard of perfection, or at least the most perfect possible choice. Historians gauge progress against what came before it. ~ Jonathan Chait

The official philosophies of the totalitarian regimes unanimously brand as nonsensical the idea that there exists a single objective truth valid for everybody. The criterion of "truth," they say, is not agreement with reality, but agreement with the spirit of a race or nation or class - that is, racial, national or utilitarian. Pushing to their limits the biological, pragmatist, activist theories of truth, the official philosophies of the totalitarian regimes deny the inherent value of thought. For them thought is not a light but a weapon: its function, they say, is not to discover reality as it is, but to change and transform it with the purpose of leading us towards what is not. Such being the case, myth is better than science and rhetoric that works on the passions preferable to proof that appeals to the intellect. ~ Alexandre Koyré

There can be no peace without justice and respect for human rights. ~ Irene Khan

As they passed through the exit, Indrani pulled Zarina's stole over her head, covering half of her face. The two words - not guilty - had changed Zarina's stature in minutes, from a relentless human rights activist to someone running for cover. They climbed down the stairs and rushed to the parking lot. Zarina's car was in a pathetic condition - smashed windscreen, deflated tyres, broken rear view mirrors and torn upholstery. An exasperated Zarina raised her hands in utter disgust. Mob fury. Idiots, if they have won the case, let them celebrate their victory; why smash my car? The fighter in her forced Zarina to take out her cell phone and click pictures of her car from different angles. ~ Hariharan Iyer

Hey Pete. So why the leave from social media? You are an activist, right? It seems like this decision is counterproductive to your message and work."

A: The short answer is I'm tired of the endless narcissism inherent to the medium. In the commercial society we have, coupled with the consequential sense of insecurity people feel, as they impulsively "package themselves" for public consumption, the expression most dominant in all of this - is vanity. And I find that disheartening, annoying and dangerous. It is a form of cultural violence in many respects. However, please note the difference - that I work to promote just that – a message/idea – not myself… and I honestly loath people who today just promote themselves for the sake of themselves. A sea of humans who have been conditioned into viewing who they are – as how they are seen online. Think about that for a moment. Social identity theory run amok.

People have been conditioned to think "they are" how "others see them". We live in an increasing fictional reality where people are now not only people – they are digital symbols. And those symbols become more important as a matter of "marketing" than people's true personality. Now, one could argue that social perception has always had a communicative symbolism, even before the computer age. But nooooooothing like today. Social media has become a social prison and a strong means of social control, in fact.
Beyond that, as most know, social media is li ~ Peter Joseph

My mother's husband Harry Bloom was a writer, a novelist, a reporter, and an anti-apartheid activist. ~ Orlando Bloom

I would be an activist but never a politician. As an activist, nobody owns you. ~ Sinbad

Consider in Washington, around the country today we are talking about balanced budgets, paying down our national debt, getting the economy going, defending ourselves, activist judges. Newt Gingrich did all those things when he was speaker. We got tax relief. We got balanced budgets. We got, you know, job creation. We paid down our national debt. ~ J. C. Watts

I was taught of a courageous love--of people who could love those who hated them, despised them, and cursed them. A heroic love that leapt lines of segregation, compassion that tore down walls, a determined empathy that saw value in every child regardless of race, geography, or circumstance. An activist love that ignited a nation's moral imagination and galvanized a collective will. Heroes of every faith, color, and sexual orientation, who left behind the comfort of anonymity and marched knowing they would be beaten, boarded buses knowing they would be burned--we are a product of their love. A love that asserted the fundamental idea that we are in this together, bound by destiny, that what happens to my American brother or sister affects me, that our connection mandates an obligation. I was taught of a courageous love. ~ Cory Booker

The surface causes of Adams's anxieties are not difficult to discern. Every activist knew the penalty for treason. Every congressman knew that prison, perhaps death, would be his reward if the American rebellion failed. ~ John Ferling

Look at the language. If a scientist delivers the simple, unconditional, absolutely certain statements that politicians and journalists want, he is talking as an activist, not a scientist. ~ Daniel Gardner

Sometimes, people call my way of speaking ranting. Why are you always ranting and screaming, they ask. But here's the thing ... the reason why I rant is because I am a voice for many women that cannot speak out to heads of state, UN officials, and those that influence systems of oppression. And so I rant. And I will not stop ranting until my mission of equality of all girls is achieved. ~ Leymah Gbowee

Freed slaves returned to Africa settled in a section of what was known as the "Pepper Coast" and on July 26, 1847, issued a Declaration of Independence and established a constitution based on the political principles denoted in the United States Constitution. In doing so they established the independent Republic of Liberia. Law and Order was something the ruling class of Liberians prided themselves on. The Americo Liberians, as they called themselves, were uber-Conservatives and had a glorified picture of what the American government was like. As Conservatives they saw themselves living a privileged lifestyle, sustained by their faith in God and the blessings that had been bestowed upon them by this deity. Amongst themselves there was much talk about the subjects of freedom, liberty, democracy and independence. They felt that these idealisms were deserved because of their exceptionalism. Taking a page from the concept of American exceptionalism, they fantasied of their very own Liberian exceptionalism, completely forgetting the indigenous natives living among them. Whereas the Americo Liberians lived an affluent lifestyle reflecting the antebellum era in the Southern tier of the United States, the local blacks, for the greatest part lived in squalor. In 1980, a violent military coup shattered the way of life in Liberia. Led by army Master Sergeant Samuel Doe, the country's ruling group of Americo-Liberians were brutally overthrown and frequently executed. Doe's term as Presid ~ Hank Bracker

If you join the rat race - you're in the race of rats. ~ Bertolt Brecht

Don't stop, echoes the older Liberian lady's voice. Don't ever stop.
My answer to her: I never will. ~ Leymah Gbowee

I'm a raging leftist political activist. I've never had a spiritual thought in my life related to God. I'm clear that that's a human invention. ~ Patch Adams

Me against the world is frightening. Us against the world is comforting. ~ Kate McLaughlin

We are wide open and vulnerable and in all likelihood an activist judge will strike down our Defense of Marriage Act, our state law against gay marriage, this year. And in all likelihood, we will have gay marriage in 2004 in Minnesota , if we don't get this amendment on the ballot for November. ~ Michele Bachmann

Like the vast majority of Americans, I've opposed same-sex marriage, but I've also opposed unjust discrimination against anyone, for racial or religious reasons, or for sexual preference. Americans are a tolerant, generous, and kind people. We all oppose bigotry and disparagement. But the debate over same-sex marriage is not a debate over tolerance. It is a debate about the purpose of the institution of marriage and it is a debate about activist judges who make up the law rather than interpret the law. ~ Mitt Romney

The goal of the spiritual activist is to find inner peace even in externally chaotic circumstances. ~ Marianne Williamson

I've been an activist since my late teens. I take this very seriously and try to use the gift that's been given to me - access to the media - as positively as I can. ~ George Takei

Animal welfare - yes. Animal rights - don't make me laugh. I'm not an animals rights activist. I certainly do not love animals. In fact, I secretly mistrust all four-legged / furry / two-winged / feathered / shelled ar scaly brothers and sisters. If I were them, I would by now be plotting ultimate revenge on a scale previously unknown to man. ... I stick to a vegan diet only for reasons of self-preservertion. Call it insurance. When the time of the great animal uprising comes, I may have a small chance of escaping ... ~ Sharon Dodua Otoo

I was raised in a very activist household so that I grew up surrounded by people who were activists. ~ Pearl Cleage

Judi Bari did something that I believe is unparalleled in the history of the environmental movement. She is an Earth First! activist who took it upon herself to organize Georgia Pacific sawmill workers into the IWW ... Well guess what friends, environmentalists and rank and file timber workers becoming allies is the most dangerous thing in the world to the timber industry! ~ Darryl Cherney

One key difference between a conspiracy theorist and an activist, for lack of a better word, is that the conspiracy theorist holds that the best defense is more and better knowledge (read my website, listen to my explanation, investigate what you know) and the activist holds that the best defense is creating another world. ~ Alexis Shotwell

When the media is controlled by people who runs the world, you are only going to get news that they want you to know. They will paint anther's man country's hero a tyrant, a dictator or a murderer and favor the next just to divide and conquer the people. ~ Henry Johnson Jr

Bush always has viewed himself as an "activist," which flies in the face of some conservative notions, such as the federal government's role in education. ~ Robert Draper

One of the problems of organizing in the North, in the rich countries, is that people tend to think - even the activists - that instant gratification is required. You constantly hear: 'Look I went to a demonstration, and we didn't stop the war so what's the use of doing it again?' ~ Noam Chomsky

I got out of that immediately was that now, all of a sudden, rock music had become a spectator sport, that corporate labels and their bands were the new establishment, and punk was there to fight them the way the activist hippies must have fought what the establishment must have been ten years before. And it was interesting to see the reactions in different parts of the country. ~ Jello Biafra

I think that compared to other politicians who have been put in jail in the past, compared to the human-rights activists in history who have had to face political prosecution, the activists in Hong Kong nowadays are already quite lucky compared to that. ~ Joshua Wong

The Sister Fund supports spiritual women and their organizations, both grassroots activists for justice, and national and international social change agents. ~ Helen LaKelly Hunt

I'm not an activist. I'm trying to get off the whole atheist racket. ~ Julia Sweeney

I can't remember when I wasn't an animal rights activist. ~ Ali MacGraw

I'm always the one with the activist friends. I've been an activist very little. ~ Peter Carey