---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The United States has been declared under…"
description: "\"The United States has been declared under martial law...All constitutional rights have been suspended. Anyone interfering with the collection of urine ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg"
---

#  The United States has been declared under martial…

![“The United States has been declared under martial law...All constitutional rights have been suspended. Anyone interfering with the collection of urine samples will be shot. Anyone failing to attend morning school prayer will be shot. The number one enemy of progress is questions. National security…” quote by Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg)

> “The United States has been declared under martial law...All constitutional rights have been suspended. Anyone interfering with the collection of urine samples will be shot. Anyone failing to attend morning school prayer will be shot. The number one enemy of progress is questions. National security is more important than individual rights. Sports broadcasts will proceed as scheduled. Shut up, be happy, obey all orders without question. At last everything is done for you.”

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

## About This Quote

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

Authoritarian rhetoric suppresses freedoms under the guise of security.

**In simple terms:** Control is justified by claiming safety.

Key Takeaway

Question authority and protect rights.

Themes

freedom authority surveillance

Mood

defiant urgent

Type

political activist

When to use this quote

- government policies
- public health mandates
- education systems
- media consumption

Key Concepts

political theory civil liberties

Questions to Reflect On

- What freedoms are most at risk?
- How can citizens resist overreach?

A Different Perspective

Excessive control can erode trust and autonomy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[America and americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-and-americans/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Constitutional rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-rights/) [Enemy of progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy-of-progress/) [Individual rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual-rights/) [Martial law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martial-law/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/)

## Related quotes

> [We've come to this dark time in which the new Gestapo of Homeland Security lurks here, where citizens are having their rights suspended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-belafonte/we-ve-come-to-this-dark-time-in-which-the-new-gestapo-of-homeland/)

[Harry Belafonte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-belafonte/)

> [A rioter with a Molotov cocktail in his hands is not fighting for civil rights any more than a Klansman... They are both... lawbreakers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson-2/a-rioter-with-a-molotov-cocktail-in-his-hands-is-not-fighting-for-2/)

[Lyndon B Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson-2/)

> [Again, a law may be both constitutional and expedient, and yet may be administered in an unjust and unfair way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/again-a-law-may-be-both-constitutional-and-expedient-and-yet-may-be/)

[Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/)

> [The very idea of the law in a constitutional republic involves the requisite that it be a rule, a guide, uniform, fixed and equal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-woodbury/the-very-idea-of-the-law-in-a-constitutional-republic-involves-the/)

[Levi Woodbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/levi-woodbury/)

> [And that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/and-that-law-of-the-land-which-is-constitutional-supporting-that/)

[Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/)

> [The propriety of a law, in a constitutional light, must always be determined by the nature of the powers upon which it is founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/the-propriety-of-a-law-in-a-constitutional-light-must-always-be/)

[Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/)

> [The greatest enemy of progress is not stagnation, but false progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/the-greatest-enemy-of-progress-is-not-stagnation-but-false-progress/)

[Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/)

> [Self-conceit is the enemy of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bion-of-borysthenes/self-conceit-is-the-enemy-of-progress/)

[Bion of Borysthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bion-of-borysthenes/)

> [If a person is poor - the marriage is as big as the enemy of progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/if-a-person-is-poor-the-marriage-is-as-big-as-the-enemy-of-progress/)

Mak\_786

> [The greatest enemy of progress is your last success, you could become so proud of what you've already accomplished that you stop moving ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/the-greatest-enemy-of-progress-is-your-last-success-you-could-become/)

[Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/)

> [Corruption is one of the greatest enemies of progress in our time. It is the cancer at the heart of so many of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/corruption-is-one-of-the-greatest-enemies-of-progress-in-our-time-it/)

[David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/)

> [“Success! Success! The enemy of progress!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-degas/success-success-the-enemy-of-progress/)

[Edgar Degas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-degas/)

> [Free time is the enemy of progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-neistat/free-time-is-the-enemy-of-progress/)

[Casey Neistat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-neistat/)

> [The triumph of the Confederacy... would be a victory for the powers of evil which would give courage to the enemies of progress and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-triumph-of-the-confederacy-would-be-a-victory-for-the-powers-of/)

[John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/)

> [The quest for certainty in forecasting outcomes can be the enemy of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/the-quest-for-certainty-in-forecasting-outcomes-can-be-the-enemy-of/)

[Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/)

## More by Jello Biafra

> [Don't hate the media, become the media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/don-t-hate-the-media-become-the-media/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [When my sixth grade teacher opened the class with subtle praise for the guardsmen shooting four people to death at Kent State, I'd given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/when-my-sixth-grade-teacher-opened-the-class-with-subtle-praise-for/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [You can spend the money on new housing for poor people and the homeless, or you can spend it on a football stadium or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/you-can-spend-the-money-on-new-housing-for-poor-people-and-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I think Noam Chomsky is a national treasure - make that an international treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-think-noam-chomsky-is-a-national-treasure-make-that-an/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [Another part of what gave me a questioning, rabble-rousing, activist heart and soul is that when all these heavy events went down, my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/another-part-of-what-gave-me-a-questioning-rabble-rousing-activist/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [A hairstyle's not a lifestyle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/a-hairstyle-s-not-a-lifestyle/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [So basically the understanding on these so-called reissues is that they were done behind my back, without my permission, and the band informed me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/so-basically-the-understanding-on-these-so-called-reissues-is-that/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I got out of that immediately was that now, all of a sudden, rock music had become a spectator sport, that corporate labels and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-got-out-of-that-immediately-was-that-now-all-of-a-sudden-rock-music/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [It depends on the situation. I mean, on one hand there's the argument that people should be left alone on the other hand, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/it-depends-on-the-situation-i-mean-on-one-hand-there-s-the-argument/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [It's very irresponsible as a parent to follow Tipper Gore or the Religious Right's advice and just take the offending CD or game away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/it-s-very-irresponsible-as-a-parent-to-follow-tipper-gore-or-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [Any alternative culture that inspires a lot of passion and inspiration is also in danger of being set in its ways, almost from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/any-alternative-culture-that-inspires-a-lot-of-passion-and/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I'm appalled at how many people my age, or even five or ten years younger, have no tangible memories of important history that happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-m-appalled-at-how-many-people-my-age-or-even-five-or-ten-years/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [They've gone to great length to disguise the fact that I'm not in the band, even sending out a photo to promoters with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/they-ve-gone-to-great-length-to-disguise-the-fact-that-i-m-not-in-the/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [A lot of the best acting training I had was in junior high and high school. We had very demanding directors and did real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/a-lot-of-the-best-acting-training-i-had-was-in-junior-high-and-high/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

> [I am an anarchist in my personal life. I try to live my life in a way that I don't need cops or baby-sitters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/i-am-an-anarchist-in-my-personal-life-i-try-to-live-my-life-in-a-way/)

[Jello Biafra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

[Explore all 102 Jello Biafra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/)

## More America and americans quotes

> [I doubt that we Americans can come to terms with our money neuroses without understanding the more florid pathology of the very rich for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-slater/i-doubt-that-we-americans-can-come-to-terms-with-our-money-neuroses/)

[Philip Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-slater/)

> [My grandparents on my fathers side come to America from Germany, so that made them, German-American. My grandparents on my mothers side came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kreger/my-grandparents-on-my-fathers-side-come-to-america-from-germany-so/)

[David Kreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kreger/)

> [Wake up and smell the facism; The biggests terrorists are not on the streets they are in Government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wandini/wake-up-and-smell-the-facism-the-biggests-terrorists-are-not-on-the/)

[Wandini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wandini/)

> [There is truth in the reply of a great lawyer when asked how the lawyers who formed the United States Constitution had such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stevens/there-is-truth-in-the-reply-of-a-great-lawyer-when-asked-how-the/)

[Wallace Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stevens/)

> [I moved to New York City for my health. I'm paranoid and it was the only place where my fears were justified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-weiss/i-moved-to-new-york-city-for-my-health-i-m-paranoid-and-it-was-the/)

Anita Weiss

> [I hope we don't lose in America this demand that those of us who want this office must be prepared not to handle the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-h-pater/i-hope-we-don-t-lose-in-america-this-demand-that-those-of-us-who-want/)

Walter H Pater

> [When any one State in the American Union refuses obedience to the Confederation by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/when-any-one-state-in-the-american-union-refuses-obedience-to-the/)

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

> [Unless Americans come to realize that they are not stronger in the world because they have the bomb but weaker because of their vulnerability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/unless-americans-come-to-realize-that-they-are-not-stronger-in-the/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [The Almighty Dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/the-almighty-dollar-that-great-object-of-universal-devotion/)

[Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/)

> [When the war closed we were challenged with a peace-time choice between the American system of rugged individualism and a European philosophy of diametrically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/when-the-war-closed-we-were-challenged-with-a-peace-time-choice/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has. Even when you make a tax form out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-income-tax-has-made-more-liars-out-of-the-american-people-than/)

[Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/)

> [People who practice freedom of expression are terrorizing our grammatical way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benson-bruno/people-who-practice-freedom-of-expression-are-terrorizing-our/)

[Benson Bruno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benson-bruno/)

> [I hate this "crime doesn't pay" stuff. Crime in the United States is perhaps one of the biggest businesses in the world today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kirk/i-hate-this-crime-doesn-t-pay-stuff-crime-in-the-united-states-is/)

Peter Kirk

> [The American idea is a free church in a free state, and a free and unsectarian public school in every ward and every village…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cabot-lodge/the-american-idea-is-a-free-church-in-a-free-state-and-a-free-and/)

[Henry Cabot Lodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cabot-lodge/)

> [Four Americans, four patriots, they loved this country and they chose to serve it, and served it well. They had a mission and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/four-americans-four-patriots-they-loved-this-country-and-they-chose/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

[Browse all 60 America and americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-and-americans/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The United States has been declared under martial law...All constitutional rights have been suspended. Anyone interfering with the collection of urine samples will be shot. Anyone failing to attend morning school prayer will be shot. The number one enemy of progress is questions. National security is more important than individual rights. Sports broadcasts will proceed as scheduled. Shut up, be happy, obey all orders without question. At last everything is done for you.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jello Biafra"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/the-united-states-has-been-declared-under-martial-law-all/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "America and americans"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/the-united-states-has-been-declared-under-martial-law-all/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b16/jello-biafra-5188_america-and-american_the-united-states-has-been-declared-unde_473410.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The United States has been declared under martial law...All constitutional rights have been suspended…” — Jello Biafra",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jello Biafra",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jello-biafra/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The United States has been declared...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/the-united-states-has-been-declared-under-martial-law-all/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jello-biafra/the-united-states-has-been-declared-under-martial-law-all/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
