---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who can give up essential liberty…"
description: "\"“Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety-‘” “‘Deserve neither liberty nor safety,”\" — Cheree Alsop"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/cheree-alsop-69860_freedom_those-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty_809325.jpg"
---

#  Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little…

![“Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety-‘” “‘Deserve neither liberty nor safety,” quote by Cheree Alsop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/cheree-alsop-69860_freedom_those-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty_809325.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/cheree-alsop-69860_freedom_those-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty_809325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/908/cheree-alsop-69860_freedom_those-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty_809325.jpg)

> ““Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety-‘” “‘Deserve neither liberty nor safety,””

Cheree Alsop

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Sacrificing essential freedom for temporary safety compromises liberty; true safety should not require losing fundamental rights.

**In simple terms:** Freedom should not be traded for short‑term safety.

Key Takeaway

Guard essential liberties over fleeting security.

Themes

freedom security liberty trade‑off

Mood

critical thought‑provoking

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political discourse
- personal safety decisions

Key Concepts

rights government risk assessment

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it justified to limit liberty?
- How do we balance safety and freedom?

A Different Perspective

Safety can be illusory and overemphasized.

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[Essential Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essential-liberty/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/)

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[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-who-can-give-up-essential-liberty-to-obtain-a-little-temporary/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a-little/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Those who give up essential liberty, to preserve a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fleming/those-who-give-up-essential-liberty-to-preserve-a-little-temporary/)

[Thomas Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fleming/)

> [Those who sacrifice essential liberty for temporary safety are not deserving of either liberty or safety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-sacrifice-essential-liberty-for-temporary-safety-are-not/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“They who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. —written for the Pennsylvania Assembly in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-who-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-purchase-a-little/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Way back in 1755 Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-rodham-clinton/way-back-in-1755-benjamin-franklin-wrote-those-who-would-give-up/)

[Hillary Rodham Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-rodham-clinton/)

> [They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. This sentence was much used in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/they-that-can-give-up-essential-liberty-to-obtain-a-little-temporary/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [Those who would give up liberty for safety deserve neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-would-give-up-liberty-for-safety-deserve-neither/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“Benjamin Franklin put it at a time of similiar uncertainty: “those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/benjamin-franklin-put-it-at-a-time-of-similiar-uncertainty-those-who/)

[Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/)

> [“No realistic American can expect from a dictator's peace international generosity, or return of true independence, or world disarmament, or freedom of expression, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/no-realistic-american-can-expect-from-a-dictator-s-peace/)

[Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/)

> [Those who sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/those-who-sacrifice-freedom-for-safety-deserve-neither/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [Trade liberty for safety or money and you'll end up with neither. Liberty, like a grain of salt, easily dissolves. The power of questioning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/trade-liberty-for-safety-or-money-and-you-ll-end-up-with-neither/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [“Any society that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Ben Franklin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-franklin/any-society-that-would-give-up-essential-liberty-to-obtain-a-little/)

[Ben Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-franklin/)

> [Those who give up their liberty for more security neither deserve liberty nor security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/those-who-give-up-their-liberty-for-more-security-neither-deserve/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

## More by Cheree Alsop

> [“You knew I was a werewolf the first time we met?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheree-alsop/you-knew-i-was-a-werewolf-the-first-time-we-met/)

Cheree Alsop

> [“Equality of race, Exploration of the Macrocosm, And advancement of knowledge for the Growth and understanding of mortalkind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheree-alsop/equality-of-race-exploration-of-the-macrocosm-and-advancement-of/)

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> [“Free. The word burned in my mind. Above, Galdoni flew in pairs and trios past the sky-rise buildings. I fought back the urge to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheree-alsop/free-the-word-burned-in-my-mind-above-galdoni-flew-in-pairs-and-trios/)

Cheree Alsop

Explore all 4 Cheree Alsop quotes

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> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

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[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

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> [If we gave up our freedom as the price of security, we would no longer be the great nation that we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/if-we-gave-up-our-freedom-as-the-price-of-security-we-would-no-longer/)

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> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

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