--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then there was this freedom the little…" description: "\"Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. Was it freedom from another country? Freedom from work or disease or death?..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg" --- # Then there was this freedom the little guys were always… ![“Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. Was it freedom from another country? Freedom from work or disease or death? Freedom from your mother-in-law? Please mister give us a bill of sale on this freedom before we go out and get killed. Give us a bill of sale…” quote by Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg) > “Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. Was it freedom from another country? Freedom from work or disease or death? Freedom from your mother-in-law? Please mister give us a bill of sale on this freedom before we go out and get killed. Give us a bill of sale drawn up plainly in advance what we're getting killed for... so we can be sure after we've won your war that we've got the same kind of freedom we bargained for.” [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning the true cost of liberty, urging clarity before sacrificing lives for abstract ideals. **In simple terms:** Ask what freedom truly costs before fighting for it. Key Takeaway Clarify goals before conflict. Themes freedom war consequences Mood skeptical reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - military enlistment - political protest - civil rights activism - policy negotiation Key Concepts political philosophy ethical clarity Questions to Reflect On - What does freedom mean to you personally? - How can societies ensure liberty without unintended loss? A Different Perspective Freedom is often ambiguous and can be exploited for propaganda. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-freedom-1173195/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom Bargained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-bargained-4553567/) [Freedom Killed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-killed-2962564/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [In-laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-laws/) [Killed Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killed-freedom-4553568/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother in law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-in-law/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Freedom can be killed by neglect as well as by direct attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/freedom-can-be-killed-by-neglect-as-well-as-by-direct-attack/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Picasso was a delightful, kindly, friendly, simple little man. When I met him he was extremely excited and overjoyed that his mother-in-law had just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-sitwell/picasso-was-a-delightful-kindly-friendly-simple-little-man-when-i-met/) [Edith Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-sitwell/) > [I haven't spoken to my mother-in-law for eighteen months-I don't like to interrupt her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-dodd/i-haven-t-spoken-to-my-mother-in-law-for-eighteen-months-i-don-t-like/) [Ken Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-dodd/) > [The mother-in-law is the centre of a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/the-mother-in-law-is-the-centre-of-a-family/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [I've just had some bad news. Tomorrow is the mother in law's funeral. And she's cancelled it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-dawson/i-ve-just-had-some-bad-news-tomorrow-is-the-mother-in-law-s-funeral/) [Les Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-dawson/) > [As one whose husband and mother-in-law have died the victims of murder and assassination, I stand firmly and unequivocally opposed to the death penalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/as-one-whose-husband-and-mother-in-law-have-died-the-victims-of/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [If someone should ask, "how should an Opposition function?" the best answer would be, "in the manner of a traditional mother-in-law who watches the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-should-ask-how-should-an-opposition-function-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What can you say about a man, who on Mother's Day sends flowers to his mother-in-law, with a note thanking her for making him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/what-can-you-say-about-a-man-who-on-mother-s-day-sends-flowers-to-his/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [When you've got little kids, and you're tucking them in. When you open a door and they're in their pajamas and they're, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-you-ve-got-little-kids-and-you-re-tucking-them-in-when-you-open/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There is scarcely room for doubt that something in the psychological relation of a mother-in-law to a son-in-law breeds hostility between them and makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/there-is-scarcely-room-for-doubt-that-something-in-the-psychological/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [My mother-in-law was so mean she blinded herself just to get a free dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-delaney/my-mother-in-law-was-so-mean-she-blinded-herself-just-to-get-a-free/) [Gary Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-delaney/) > [I suppose, mother-in-laws are frightening figures. Especially, more so for mother-in-laws to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-gandhi/i-suppose-mother-in-laws-are-frightening-figures-especially-more-so/) [Sonia Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-gandhi/) > [I went from resenting my mother-in-law to accepting her, finally to appreciating her. What appeared to be her diffidence when I was first married,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-went-from-resenting-my-mother-in-law-to-accepting-her-finally-to/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [If there's an award for best mother-in-law in the universe, in the future, when my son gets married, I will win that award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/if-there-s-an-award-for-best-mother-in-law-in-the-universe-in-the/) [Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/) > [My mother-in-law must be the probation officer I got for the crime I committed of marrying my husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/my-mother-in-law-must-be-the-probation-officer-i-got-for-the-crime-i/) [Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/) ## More by Dalton Trumbo > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [I never considered the working class anything other than something to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-never-considered-the-working-class-anything-other-than-something-to/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“They died crying in their minds like little babies. They forgot the thing they were fighting for the thing they were dying for. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/they-died-crying-in-their-minds-like-little-babies-they-forgot-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Now the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things people don't understand. Take the Einstein theory. Take taxes. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/now-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-there-are-a-lot-of-things-people/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [An animal can learn to fight, but to sing beautiful things and make people believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/an-animal-can-learn-to-fight-but-to-sing-beautiful-things-and-make/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“There ought to be at least as much common sense about living and dying as there is about going to the grocery store and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/there-ought-to-be-at-least-as-much-common-sense-about-living-and/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Goodbye, my love, my life. Goodbye, goodbye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/goodbye-my-love-my-life-goodbye-goodbye/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“Have you ever noticed how many fences there're getting to be? And the signs they got on them: no hunting, no hiking, no admission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/have-you-ever-noticed-how-many-fences-there-re-getting-to-be-and-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [The only kind of love worth having is the kind that goes on living and laughing and fighting and loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-only-kind-of-love-worth-having-is-the-kind-that-goes-on-living/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“The worst criminals on earth are those who toy with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-worst-criminals-on-earth-are-those-who-toy-with-love/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. Only it's a special kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-it-s-just-a-word-like-house-or/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Privately, I believe in none of them. Neither do you. Publicly, I believe in them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/privately-i-believe-in-none-of-them-neither-do-you-publicly-i-believe/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“It will be you—-you who urge us on to battle you who incite us against ourselves you who would have one cobbler kill another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/it-will-be-you-you-who-urge-us-on-to-battle-you-who-incite-us-against/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“I am trying to penetrate the mystery of why I am as I am- what I am- I have done everything well and right-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-am-trying-to-penetrate-the-mystery-of-why-i-am-as-i-am-what-i-am-i/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/dishonesty-in-government-is-the-business-of-every-citizen-it-is-not/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) [Explore all 69 Dalton Trumbo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## More Bills quotes > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/) [Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/) > [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/) [Chuck Peddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-peddle/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. Was it freedom from another country? Freedom from work or disease or death? Freedom from your mother-in-law? Please mister give us a bill of sale on this freedom before we go out and get killed. Give us a bill of sale drawn up plainly in advance what we're getting killed for... so we can be sure after we've won your war that we've got the same kind of freedom we bargained for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dalton Trumbo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-guys-were-always-getting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bills" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-guys-were-always-getting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cb/dalton-trumbo-9732_bills_then-there-was-this-freedom-the-little-g_1344806.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Then there was this freedom the little guys were always getting killed for. 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