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“A man’s rights rest in three boxes. The ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box.”
John Locke Foundation ^ | February 8, 2018 | Jon Guze

Posted on 01/06/2025 2:35:03 PM PST by wildcard_redneck

The title comes from a memoir by Frederick Douglass, a self-taught escaped slave who was born two hundred years ago this month. During his life, Douglass was celebrated as one of the 19th century’s most learned, eloquent, and passionate defenders of freedom and individual rights in the classical liberal tradition.

By the time of his death in 1895, however, that tradition was being rapidly displaced by progressivism, an antithetical philosophy promoting government power over the individual that would dominate American political thought throughout the coming century. The triumph of progressivism over classical liberalism may, in part, explain why Douglass is so woefully neglected as a thinker and as a writer, and it may also explain why—despite the official creation of a federal Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission—so little has been done to commemorate the anniversary of his birth.

At a time when the principles of the Declaration of Independence were under assault, Douglass waved the banner of classical liberalism, championing inalienable rights for all, regardless of race or sex. At a time when socialism was on the rise, Douglass preached the virtues of free labor and self-ownership in a market-based economy. At a time when state governments were violating the rights of the recently emancipated, Douglass professed the central importance of “the ballot-box, the jury-box, and the cartridge-box” in the fight against Jim Crow

(Excerpt) Read more at johnlocke.org ...


TOPICS: History
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This 6 year old article is more timely now than when it was written. We are under the rule of a reptilian establishment that seeks to balkanize America and set Americans against one another so that they may loot the treasury. Marxism and socialism is just a movement to pillage whoever has the most money at one time.

Now the globalist marxists have set their sights on Americans and are importing millions of foreigners to divide subjugate and steal the wealth of all Americans under the guise of fake compassion for their shock troops of invading foreigners. The courts have let Americans down and actively rule against them. While the election of Trump offers hope we must wait and see if Trump can deliver on his promises. The courts have been and are attacking Americans and electing Republicans has not worked so far. What is next?

We have tried jury box and the ballot box and if those fail will Americans be forced to use the cartridge box?

1 posted on 01/06/2025 2:35:03 PM PST by wildcard_redneck
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To: wildcard_redneck

We won at the ballot box. Let’s see how JAN 20th starts off before dragging up the cartridge box. :0)


2 posted on 01/06/2025 2:51:12 PM PST by Gaffer
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To: Gaffer
"We won at the ballot box. Let’s see how JAN 20th starts off before dragging up the cartridge box. :0)"

I think 18 months should be enough time to accurately weigh and measure the 2nd Trump Administration.

3 posted on 01/06/2025 2:59:44 PM PST by wildcard_redneck
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To: wildcard_redneck

They’ve squelched the soap box and corrupted the ballot box. No wonder they’re so concerned about regulating the bullet box.


4 posted on 01/06/2025 3:20:50 PM PST by txeagle
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To: wildcard_redneck
Weren't there FOUR boxes (maybe not in Frederick Douglass' quote but there was a first box, the soap-box:
  1. Soap-box (proclaiming, protests)
  2. Ballot box (voting)
  3. Jury-box (courts)
  4. Cartridge box (arms)
Maybe I'm thinking of a later version...
5 posted on 01/06/2025 3:23:25 PM PST by dayglored (This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24)
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To: dayglored

Weren’t there FOUR boxes (maybe not in Frederick Douglass’ quote but there was a first box, the soap-box:

Soap-box (proclaiming, protests)
Ballot box (voting)
Jury-box (courts)
Cartridge box (arms)

Maybe I’m thinking of a later version...

*****************************************

Ed Howdershelt, author.


6 posted on 01/06/2025 3:35:53 PM PST by dagunk (-- Unknown)
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To: wildcard_redneck

WHAT ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY SOAP BOX?


7 posted on 01/06/2025 4:05:44 PM PST by CivilWarBrewing (Get off my back for my usage of CAPS, especially you snowflake males! MAN UP!)
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To: wildcard_redneck

Forgot the Soap Box first.


8 posted on 01/06/2025 4:07:07 PM PST by CodeToad (Rule #1: The elites want you dead.)
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To: CivilWarBrewing; CodeToad
"WHAT ABOUT THE ALMIGHTY SOAP BOX?"

It wasn't mentioned in the article, I have to deal with what articles thatI can actually post on. My apologies.

9 posted on 01/06/2025 4:10:10 PM PST by wildcard_redneck
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To: wildcard_redneck; Allegra; Lazamataz; Fred Nerks; bitt; george76; Jim Robinson

I agree with your premises about the state of our Union and its current disarray.

But I hardly would agree that Douglas was a “liberal” in the classic tradition. I believe that Douglas was a patriot
of the UNited STates just as Samual Adams was.Boith of their heir lights were fueled by a thirst for freedom and the means to secure it. I do not believe that makes either of them “liberals” in the classic sense.It makes them into something new, patriots of freedom established under an enlightened approach to government withe the freedom of the individual citizen and his pursuit of happiness as the major focus.. Much of this was a result of observing how native Americans governed themselves, secured themselves, such as the Mohawks and the Iroquois Confederacy, much more than following what John Locke had to say.

By example I will give you the words of another patriot who was much like Douglas, although he was from a much different background, he too highly esteemed freedom like Douglas.

His name is Samuel Adams, and here is some of what he had to say on August 1st 1776 at the Philadelphia State House:


If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life; secondly, to liberty; thirdly to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can.

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men. “

Another was Francis Marion, the Swampfox.These types of men were the foundations of freedom in Amwerica, and they were neither progressives nor liberals.They were something entirely different on the face of this earth.They were American patriots.We should be proud to number ourselves among them.


10 posted on 01/06/2025 6:47:40 PM PST by Candor7 (Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!),<img src="" width=500</img><a href="">tag</a>)
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To: Gaffer

Bkmk


11 posted on 01/06/2025 7:38:41 PM PST by ptsal (Vote R.E.D. >>>Remove Every Democrat ***)
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To: wildcard_redneck

False!
It has been many decades since the first two items were true...


12 posted on 01/06/2025 7:46:52 PM PST by SuperLuminal
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To: Candor7

Excellent post!


13 posted on 01/06/2025 9:17:14 PM PST by Inyo-Mono
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To: wildcard_redneck

I guess if all else fails, many will reach for the cartridge box as the last resort. I only pray it never comes to that.


14 posted on 01/07/2025 4:17:16 AM PST by AmericanNightmare
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To: dayglored
The typical American only knows of these boxes:
  1. The Twinkie Box. Mmmmmm. Yummy.
  2. The Dox Box. That stupid internet foe. Let's find out all about him.
  3. Mike Tyson Box. Let's watch his latest fight against Jake Paul!

15 posted on 01/07/2025 4:17:52 AM PST by Lazamataz (The BEST birthday present I ever got WAS DONALD TRUMP WINNING IN 2024!!!)
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To: wildcard_redneck; Travis McGee; LS; FreedomPoster
We have tried jury box and the ballot box and if those fail will Americans be forced to use the cartridge box?

I've actually given this a fair amount of thought.

What good is the cartridge box in modern times? Against whom to we fight? Representatives of government and, now, industry, are well-protected. What sort of defense against small drones can a typical person raise? We certainly cannot assemble, what with the ability of modern government to monitor communications, disrupt plans, and protect themselves. It was much different in the 1700's, 1800's, and even the early 1900's. Then, we had a clear shot.

Unless we were able to muster overwhelming numbers -- only reasonable if we were invaded by a foreign nation -- then we would likely be picked off. Remember the numbers.... even in the 1700's, only 3% or so were ready and willing to rebel. We'd need some sort of critical mass to become ungovernable and directly/physically rebellious.

Personally, to me, it seems that firearms are only useful for local defensive combat. If the government sent teams, or if the SHTF and you were defending your bugout spot from local looters, then they'd be quite useful. Other than that, I cannot think of how they could be employed successfully.

Oh sure, one or two people could create an incident or two. They, of course, would be painted as extremist loons, and unless there was a level of universal anger among the populace, their sacrifice would not be a spark of something bigger.

I don't feel we can think tactically. I feel we need to be far more strategic in our thinking.

16 posted on 01/07/2025 4:30:41 AM PST by Lazamataz (The BEST birthday present I ever got WAS DONALD TRUMP WINNING IN 2024!!!)
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To: Lazamataz

Well stated.


17 posted on 01/07/2025 8:34:16 AM PST by dayglored (This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24)
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To: Inyo-Mono
Excellent post!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Domo Arigato Gozahimashita !



18 posted on 01/07/2025 9:48:25 AM PST by Candor7 (Ask not for whom the Trump Trolls,He trolls for thee!),<img src="" width=500</img><a href="">tag</a>)
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To: Lazamataz

Correct. Who are you going to shoot? Your Biden-voting neighbor?

A good scenario as to how you could take on a Biden-type tyranny is in John Ross’s book “Unintended Consequences,” where instead of going after the highly protected, gated elites, the rebels begin destroying the entire fabric of government by taking out Fish and Game wardens, postal carriers, smaller hubs of government offices. Basically they take out everyone who cannot be protected and who quit, leaving the government incapable of even collecting taxes.


19 posted on 01/07/2025 4:21:43 PM PST by LS ("Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually." Jimi Hendrix)
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To: LS; Lazamataz

That sounds like how the cartels rule Mexico. Just murder low tier government workers until the remaining ones figure out who to take orders from.


20 posted on 01/07/2025 4:32:13 PM PST by Pelham (President Eisenhower. Operation Wetback 1953-54)
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