--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No family of an American hostage has ever…" description: "\"No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. The last thing we should ever do is t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png" --- # No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted… ![“No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. The last thing we should ever do is to add to a family's pain.” quote by Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png) > “No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. The last thing we should ever do is to add to a family's pain.” [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Paying ransom for hostages can unintentionally fund criminal activity and prolong suffering, so it should be avoided. **In simple terms:** Paying ransom can cause more harm than good. Key Takeaway Avoid paying ransom to prevent fueling crime. Themes ethics security human rights Mood serious empathetic Type political ethical When to use this quote - hostage negotiations - government policy - family decisions - international law Key Concepts Criminal finance policy moral dilemma Questions to Reflect On - Should governments ban ransom payments? - How can families support hostages without paying? A Different Perspective Some families may feel compelled to act despite risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Loved ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-ones/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [“Much of the public was convinced that the CIA was capable and willing to do so. Thus began the famous 444-day American hostage crisis.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ervand-abrahamian/much-of-the-public-was-convinced-that-the-cia-was-capable-and-willing/) [Ervand Abrahamian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ervand-abrahamian/) > [One difference between French appeasement and American appeasement is that France pays ransom in cash and gets its hostages back while the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/one-difference-between-french-appeasement-and-american-appeasement-is/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [Why Family Therapy...because it deals with family pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/why-family-therapy-because-it-deals-with-family-pain/) [Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/) > [Some people, they don't want to be that loved, they don't want to be that involved, they don't want to be part of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-coyne/some-people-they-don-t-want-to-be-that-loved-they-don-t-want-to-be/) [Wayne Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-coyne/) > [I love everybody like I love my family: with pain, rage, random devotion, guilt, humor & tenderness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-everybody-like-i-love-my-family-with-pain-rage-random-devotion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm choosing to suffer less. To put myself and my family through less pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-maynard/i-m-choosing-to-suffer-less-to-put-myself-and-my-family-through-less/) [Brittany Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-maynard/) > [“Along with the trust issues, one of the hardest parts to deal with is the feeling of not being believed or supported, especially by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-merryn/along-with-the-trust-issues-one-of-the-hardest-parts-to-deal-with-is/) [Erin Merryn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-merryn/) > [“ Son, I know you don’t consider me family and that pain I’ll take to my grave. Let me just tell you this though,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-k-schiller/son-i-know-you-don-t-consider-me-family-and-that-pain-i-ll-take-to-my/) [M.K. Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-k-schiller/) > [We are all human beings. As such, we are part of a big family: the human family. The pain of any human being will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samael-aun-weor/we-are-all-human-beings-as-such-we-are-part-of-a-big-family-the-human/) [Samael Aun Weor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samael-aun-weor/) > [“And you may comfort yourself with the thought that you have been the caltrop under her satin shoe every step of the way. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/and-you-may-comfort-yourself-with-the-thought-that-you-have-been-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the American economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/will-not-collect-a-ransom-in-exchange-for-not-crashing-the-american/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Thankfully the rest of the world assumed that the Irish were crazy, a theory that the Irish themselves did nothing to debunk. They had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/thankfully-the-rest-of-the-world-assumed-that-the-irish-were-crazy-a/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesus/for-even-the-son-of-man-came-not-to-be-ministered-unto-but-to/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesus/) > [“You’ve never felt good. Your suffering protects you. Pain is the ransom you have gladly paid not to be free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-johnson/you-ve-never-felt-good-your-suffering-protects-you-pain-is-the-ransom/) [Denis Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-johnson/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) ## More by Mark Steyn > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“The populations of wealthy democratic societies expect to have total choice over their satellite TV packages, yet think it perfectly normal to allow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/the-populations-of-wealthy-democratic-societies-expect-to-have-total/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [For Al Gore and Paul Ehrlich and Co., whatever the problem, the solution is always the same. Whether it's global cooling, global warming, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/for-al-gore-and-paul-ehrlich-and-co-whatever-the-problem-the-solution/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Sadly, a U.S. invasion of Iraq 'would threaten the whole stability of the Middle East' - or so Amr Moussa, secretary-general of the Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/sadly-a-u-s-invasion-of-iraq-would-threaten-the-whole-stability-of/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [I don't think Donald Trump is a conservative. I think his line on China for example, that he's going to talk tough to China.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/i-don-t-think-donald-trump-is-a-conservative-i-think-his-line-on/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [A big chunk of Western civilization, consciously or otherwise, has given the impression that it's dying to surrender to somebody, anybody. Reasonably enough, Islam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/a-big-chunk-of-western-civilization-consciously-or-otherwise-has/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“But that's Islam in the third millennium: they want the certainties of seventh-century society with the conveniences of the twenty-first century.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/but-that-s-islam-in-the-third-millennium-they-want-the-certainties-of/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [The progressive Left can be in favor of Big Government or population control but not both. The mutual incompatibility is about to plunge Europe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/the-progressive-left-can-be-in-favor-of-big-government-or-population/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“But in practice the lack of belief in divine presence is just as likely to lead to humans avoiding responsibility: if there's nothing other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/but-in-practice-the-lack-of-belief-in-divine-presence-is-just-as/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“America is now a land that rewards failure--at the personal, corporate and state level. If you reward it, you get more of it. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/america-is-now-a-land-that-rewards-failure-at-the-personal-corporate/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Obama's Nobel Peace Prize is an exquisite act of condescension from Norwegians, a dog biscuit and a pat on the head to the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/obama-s-nobel-peace-prize-is-an-exquisite-act-of-condescension-from/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“You cannot wage a sustained ideological assault on your own civilization without grave consequences. We are approaching the end of the Anglo-American moment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/you-cannot-wage-a-sustained-ideological-assault-on-your-own/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“Almost by definition, secularism cannot be a future: it's a present-tense culture that over time disconnects a society from cross-generational purpose. Which is why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/almost-by-definition-secularism-cannot-be-a-future-it-s-a-present/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Her Majesty's government is engaging not merely in Orwellian Newspeak but in self-defeating Orwellian Newspeak. The broader message it sends is that ours is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/her-majesty-s-government-is-engaging-not-merely-in-orwellian-newspeak/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [The minute health care becomes a huge, unwieldy, expensive government bureaucracy it's a permanent feature of life and there's nothing anyone can do about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/the-minute-health-care-becomes-a-huge-unwieldy-expensive-government/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) [Explore all 204 Mark Steyn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) ## More Add quotes > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/) [Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, 'Let no one be called happy till his death;' to which I would add, 'Let no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-greeks-said-grandly-in-their-tragic-phrase-let-no-one-be-called/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved ones. The last thing we should ever do is to add to a family's pain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mark Steyn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-ever-been-prosecuted-for-paying/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Add" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-ever-been-prosecuted-for-paying/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbe/mark-steyn-1844_add_no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-eve_275639.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No family of an American hostage has ever been prosecuted for paying a ransom for the return of their loved…” — Mark Steyn", "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": "Mark Steyn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No family of an American hostage...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-ever-been-prosecuted-for-paying/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/no-family-of-an-american-hostage-has-ever-been-prosecuted-for-paying/#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 } } ] } ```