In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain, Notebook, 1935
How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a naughty world.
~William Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, much later adapted to “So shines a good deed in a weary world” by David Seltzer for the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die. ~G.K. Chesterton
The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. ~Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
The most persistent sound which reverberates through men’s history is the beating of war drums. ~Arthur Koestler, Janus: A Summing Up
When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them. ~Chinese Proverb
How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! ~Maya Angelou
Lord, bid war’s trumpet cease;
Fold the whole earth in peace.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude. ~Cynthia Ozick
I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, “Mother, what was war?” ~Eve Merriam