--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've had friends who have experienced…" description: "\"I've had friends who have experienced pretty horrible things, some pretty brutal things, and survived. And I know that they and I would never want them..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/dana-loesch-6409_ability_i-ve-had-friends-who-have-experienced-pr_2194723.jpg" --- # I've had friends who have experienced pretty horrible… ![“I've had friends who have experienced pretty horrible things, some pretty brutal things, and survived. And I know that they and I would never want them to be without the ability to defend themselves.” quote by Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/dana-loesch-6409_ability_i-ve-had-friends-who-have-experienced-pr_2194723.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/dana-loesch-6409_ability_i-ve-had-friends-who-have-experienced-pr_2194723.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/151/dana-loesch-6409_ability_i-ve-had-friends-who-have-experienced-pr_2194723.jpg) > “I've had friends who have experienced pretty horrible things, some pretty brutal things, and survived. And I know that they and I would never want them to be without the ability to defend themselves.” [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Survivors of trauma deserve the means to protect themselves and maintain autonomy. **In simple terms:** Survivors need self‑defense. Key Takeaway Support self‑defense rights. Themes self‑defense survivor empowerment rights Mood determined empathetic Type advocacy policy When to use this quote - self‑defense training - community safety programs - policy advocacy Key Concepts personal safety autonomy trauma recovery Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure responsible self‑defense? - What safeguards protect against abuse? A Different Perspective Balancing safety with potential for misuse of force. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Defend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defend/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friends Experienced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends-experienced-735562/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Survived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survived/) [Survived Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survived-know-4795438/) [Things Survived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-survived-3803477/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [So when I got to 50 I just thought, Hold on: I'm thin. I've got my hair. I'm well off. I survived, you know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-geldof/so-when-i-got-to-50-i-just-thought-hold-on-i-m-thin-i-ve-got-my-hair/) [Bob Geldof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-geldof/) > [“I can make a case that I regret nothing. After all, most of my mistakes turned out to be things I survived, or turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/i-can-make-a-case-that-i-regret-nothing-after-all-most-of-my-mistakes/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [Everything I write is based on something I've personally experienced, or things that my friends have experienced that I just find horribly entertaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/everything-i-write-is-based-on-something-i-ve-personally-experienced/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [I had two experiences with very close friends of mine who experienced aphasia, the loss of language. It shocked me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/i-had-two-experiences-with-very-close-friends-of-mine-who-experienced/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Everything I've experienced, things that my friends have experienced and we talk about, things that are on the news - all aspects of life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-marley/everything-i-ve-experienced-things-that-my-friends-have-experienced/) [Damian Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-marley/) > [What we do every night is we change out the set list as much as we can to make sure that (fans can) go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-hanson/what-we-do-every-night-is-we-change-out-the-set-list-as-much-as-we/) [Isaac Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-hanson/) > [I don't think we're necessarily drawing from that specific sort of storyline, because I think we're all just super-blessed and grateful to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-zissis/i-don-t-think-we-re-necessarily-drawing-from-that-specific-sort-of/) [Steve Zissis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-zissis/) > [I remember talking with Arcade Fire after their first record, when they were getting all kinds of offers from major labels, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-remember-talking-with-arcade-fire-after-their-first-record-when/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [Films are not my bread and butter. I do ads. I've survived through ads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-mathur/films-are-not-my-bread-and-butter-i-do-ads-i-ve-survived-through-ads/) [Arjun Mathur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-mathur/) > [I've been through hell. It's hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden - was it a lie? You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elin-nordegren/i-ve-been-through-hell-it-s-hard-to-think-you-have-this-life-and-then/) [Elin Nordegren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elin-nordegren/) > [“survived one trip into”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-demille/survived-one-trip-into/) [Nelson DeMille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-demille/) > [You survived the abuse, you’re going to survive the recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/you-survived-the-abuse-you-re-going-to-survive-the-recovery/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [Wasn't Saddam destroyed? Wasn't Gaddafi liquidated? Didn't Milosevic go to the Hague? All true. But Stalin survived. Kim Jong-un isn't doing too badly, either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fisk/wasn-t-saddam-destroyed-wasn-t-gaddafi-liquidated-didn-t-milosevic-go/) [Robert Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fisk/) > [“No matter what side you were on, if you had survived Gettysburg you were to be congratulated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-jiles/no-matter-what-side-you-were-on-if-you-had-survived-gettysburg-you/) [Paulette Jiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulette-jiles/) > [If memory survived eternally, then indeed there might be justification for a belief in hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-aumonier/if-memory-survived-eternally-then-indeed-there-might-be-justification/) [Stacy Aumonier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-aumonier/) ## More by Dana Loesch > [Don't do anything to upset the victimhood apple cart, because then young women may want to think for themselves, and the entire racket of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/don-t-do-anything-to-upset-the-victimhood-apple-cart-because-then/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [I began as a writer and started blogging in 2001, first on politics, anonymously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-began-as-a-writer-and-started-blogging-in-2001-first-on-politics/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [Liberal talk on the radio doesn't perform well because it is not a sequestered to a niche - it's everywhere in the media universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/liberal-talk-on-the-radio-doesn-t-perform-well-because-it-is-not-a/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [I often think that the Greatest Generation gave birth to the Crappiest Generation, the stinky hippies with their slacktivism and demand for government welfare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-often-think-that-the-greatest-generation-gave-birth-to-the/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [I wanted my kids to be able to look at their mom and be like, 'She can take care of herself.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-wanted-my-kids-to-be-able-to-look-at-their-mom-and-be-like-she-can/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [Elected office was never intended to become its own industry; it was to be filled with common men who, by way of still having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/elected-office-was-never-intended-to-become-its-own-industry-it-was/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [I'm a weensy-government conservative from the Midwest, Christian, mother of two, homeschooler, and my hobby, profession, and passion is news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/i-m-a-weensy-government-conservative-from-the-midwest-christian/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [The privilege of a free society is that every man, woman, and child has the opportunity - and the obligation as a free people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/the-privilege-of-a-free-society-is-that-every-man-woman-and-child-has/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [The pay gap has nothing to do with employer discrimination; it has to do with choice. Let's employ a little common sense: statistically, women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/the-pay-gap-has-nothing-to-do-with-employer-discrimination-it-has-to/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [It's easy to talk a good game in an echo chamber, it's easy to witness to people who think exactly the same way you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/it-s-easy-to-talk-a-good-game-in-an-echo-chamber-it-s-easy-to-witness/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [Our Founding Fathers, regular men who did great things together, established this system along with other regular men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/our-founding-fathers-regular-men-who-did-great-things-together/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [If we don't want intrusive government, then we need to care for the least among us so that they are not exploited as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/if-we-don-t-want-intrusive-government-then-we-need-to-care-for-the/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [Meryl Streep is at the apex of Hollywood, and it is ludicrous for anyone to think or for her to expect anyone to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/meryl-streep-is-at-the-apex-of-hollywood-and-it-is-ludicrous-for/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [The tea party wants to empower people with opportunity and the freedom for the individual to pursue success and keep the fruits of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/the-tea-party-wants-to-empower-people-with-opportunity-and-the/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) > [As a young woman, I can say that sexist behavior so often perpetrated by the Left is a major reason why I and many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-loesch/as-a-young-woman-i-can-say-that-sexist-behavior-so-often-perpetrated/) [Dana Loesch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) [Explore all 99 Dana Loesch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-loesch/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've had friends who have experienced pretty horrible things, some pretty brutal things, and survived. 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