The American flag is an enduring symbol of liberty democracy and justice. It is fitting that the House act to protect it as we approach our nation's birthday and as our men and women in uniform rally behind it in Iraq's battlefields.

Democracy functions best when we have an active citizenry.

In our so-called democracy we are accustomed to give the majority what they want rather than educate them to understand what is best for them.

The best weapon of a dictatorship is secrecy but the best weapon of a democracy should be the weapon of openness.

If liberty and equality as is thought by some are chiefly to be found in democracy they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

I say that democracy can never prove itself beyond cavil until it founds and luxuriantly grows its own forms of art poems schools theology displacing all that exists or that has been produced anywhere in the past under opposite influences.

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.

However democracy cannot be defined as the existence of parliaments and elections alone.

One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing genuine democracy to a country.

I don't know whether it's age or maturity but I certainly find myself committed more and more to the looser forms of Western democracy at any price.