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Values in a free society are accepted voluntarily, not through coercion, and certainly not by law... every time we write a law to control private behavior, we imply that somebody has to arrive with a gun, because if you desecrate the flag, you have to punish that person. So how do you do that? You send an agent of the government, perhaps an employee of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Flags, to arrest him. This is in many ways patriotism with a gun - if your actions do not fit the official definition of a 'patriot,' we will send somebody to arrest you.

Ron Paul#6

FreedomLawCivil rightsCoercion

About this quote

What does it mean?
In a free society, values are adopted voluntarily, not forced by law, otherwise the state must enforce them with force, which is contradictory to liberty.
In plain terms
Values should be chosen freely
What can you take from it?
Avoid using law to enforce personal behavior.

Where it applies

  • flag desecration laws
  • public behavior regulations
  • patriotic enforcement

Putting it to work

  • advocate for de‑criminalizing symbolic speech
  • educate on voluntary ethics

Questions to consider

  • When is it justified for the state to restrict behavior?
  • How does coercion affect social cohesion?

Another view

Some laws aim to protect public order, not just enforce personal morality.

More from Ron Paul

  1. There is but one special interest that we should be working for, and that would solve just about all of our problems, and that is our liberty.

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  2. It is great comedy to hear the secular, pro-gay left, so hostile to states' rights in virtually every instance, suddenly discover the tyranny of centralized go…

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  3. In the free society envisioned by the founders, schools are held accountable to parents, not federal bureaucrats.

    Permalink to quote #4

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