--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we quickly cast aside our…" description: "\"If we quickly cast aside our constitutional form of government, then the enemy will not be the terrorists, it will be us.\" — John Conyers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/john-conyers-16217_casts_if-we-quickly-cast-aside-our-constitutio_545173.png" --- # If we quickly cast aside our constitutional form of… ![“If we quickly cast aside our constitutional form of government, then the enemy will not be the terrorists, it will be us.” quote by John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/john-conyers-16217_casts_if-we-quickly-cast-aside-our-constitutio_545173.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/john-conyers-16217_casts_if-we-quickly-cast-aside-our-constitutio_545173.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/998/john-conyers-16217_casts_if-we-quickly-cast-aside-our-constitutio_545173.png) > “If we quickly cast aside our constitutional form of government, then the enemy will not be the terrorists, it will be us.” [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discarding constitutional safeguards risks turning citizens into the very threat they fear. **In simple terms:** Loss of rights creates new enemies. Key Takeaway Protect democratic institutions. Themes politics freedom security Mood cautious serious Type political warning When to use this quote - elections - public policy - national security Key Concepts constitutional law civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent government overreach? - How can citizens stay vigilant? A Different Perspective Freedom can be compromised by fear‑driven policies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Forms of government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forms-of-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorists/) ## Related quotes > [Look, fundamentally there are two sets of questions that apply in the war against terrorism. The one set of questions deals with the, "Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/look-fundamentally-there-are-two-sets-of-questions-that-apply-in-the/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [I declare that this government is no longer a constitutional and moral form of government. I will deal with it, and I will obey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-auster/i-declare-that-this-government-is-no-longer-a-constitutional-and/) Lawrence Auster > [I call the present system 'Post-Constitutional America.' As I sometimes put it, the U.S. Constitution poses no serious threat to our form of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sobran/i-call-the-present-system-post-constitutional-america-as-i-sometimes/) [Joseph Sobran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sobran/) > [In Africa, you often see that the difference between a village where everybody eats and a village where people starve is government. One has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-africa-you-often-see-that-the-difference-between-a-village-where/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Democrats believe that the federal government is not our enemy, it's our partner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mcgovern/democrats-believe-that-the-federal-government-is-not-our-enemy-it-s/) [George McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mcgovern/) > [“A corporate controlled government is the enemy of the common people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/a-corporate-controlled-government-is-the-enemy-of-the-common-people/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“They view the government as their enemy, profit as their only friend – probably do not even see themselves as the traitors they are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wareham/they-view-the-government-as-their-enemy-profit-as-their-only-friend/) Andrew Wareham > [Our own government has become our enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-baldwin/our-own-government-has-become-our-enemy/) [Chuck Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-baldwin/) > [Government is the enemy until you need a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cohen/government-is-the-enemy-until-you-need-a-friend/) [William Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cohen/) > [Above all, ascribe no decent motives to the federal government. 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