"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." (Thomas Jefferson) "No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms." (Thomas Jefferson, 1776) "Certainly, one of the chief guarantees of freedom under any government, no matter how popular and respected, is the right of citizens to keep and bear arms. The right of citizens to bear arms is just one more guarantee against arbitrary government, and one more safeguard against a tyranny which now appears remote in America, but which historically has proved to be always possible." (Hubert Humphrey, February 1960) "Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." (William Pitt, 1783) Vladimir Putin, when visiting the U.S. after the 9/11 bombings, was asked if Pres. Bush's use of the word "evil" in describing the Islamic terrorists was "going too far". Putin replied that, "No, it does not go far enough. As far as the Al Qaeda are concerned, we are as dust to them." ... "We are as dust to them."