Iris Dement Quotes

I am prepared to die but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill.

It was difficult being a conscientious objector in the 1940's, but I felt I had to stick to my guns.

Many a man will have the courage to die gallantly, but will not have the courage to say, or even to think, that the cause for which he is asked to die is an unworthy one.

For the first time in my life, I put my body and reputation on the line to stand up for my beliefs and do the right thing. I hope I've encouraged other people to do the same.

It is better to be killed than to kill.

I would suffer all the humiliation, all the torture, the absolute ostracism and even death, to prevent violence

I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom.

The ones I pity are the ones who never stick out their neck for something they believe, never know the taste of moral struggle, and never have the thrill of victory.

Fidelity to conscience is inconsistent with retiring modesty. If it be so, let the modesty succumb. It can be only a false modesty which can be thus endangered.

Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.

Even a pacifist should admire the military virtues.

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

Politics is only worthwhile if you are doing what you believe, regardless of the slings and arrows.

Nonviolence is pretty ballsy, pretty advanced weaponry.

No one wanted me to be a conscientious objector. My parents certainly didn't want it. My teacher and mentor, Joe Brearley, didn't want it. My friends didn't want it. I was alone.

If you strongly believe something is wrong, you must speak up and stand by what you say.

Nonviolence and cowardice go ill together. True nonviolence is an impossibility without the possession of unadulterated fearlessness.

The strength to kill is not essential for self-defense; one ought to have the strength to die. When a man is fully ready to die, he will not even desire to offer violence. Indeed, I may put it down as a self-evident proposition that the desire to kill is in inverse proportion to the desire to die. And history is replete with instances of men who by dying with courage and compassion on their lips converted the hearts of their violent opponents.

The traits I respect are erudition and the courage to stand up when half-men are afraid for their reputation. Any idiot can be intelligent.

We need to be willing to stand up and speak up for what we believe.

If blood be shed, let it be our own. Let us cultivate the calm courage to die without killing.

If every soldier refused to take arms ... there would be no wars; but no one has the courage to be the first to live according to Christ and Socrates, because in a world of opportunists they would be martyred.

Nonviolence of the strong is infinitely braver than their violence.

Nonviolence is the greatest virtue, cowardice the greatest vice - nonviolence springs from love, cowardice from hate.

A man's moral worth is established only at the point where he is ready to give up his life in defense of his convictions.