--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There comes a time, there comes a time in…" description: "\"There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/rand-paul-606_complacency_there-comes-a-time-there-comes-a-time-in_2267523.jpg" --- # There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of… ![“There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now and I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts go unchallenged.” quote by Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/rand-paul-606_complacency_there-comes-a-time-there-comes-a-time-in_2267523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/rand-paul-606_complacency_there-comes-a-time-there-comes-a-time-in_2267523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a39/rand-paul-606_complacency_there-comes-a-time-there-comes-a-time-in_2267523.jpg) > “There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. That time is now and I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts go unchallenged.” [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When fear and complacency grow, power consolidates and freedoms erode; immediate action is needed to resist oppressive laws. **In simple terms:** Complacency lets power grow and freedoms shrink; act now. Key Takeaway Resist encroaching legislation. Themes freedom privacy power politics Mood urgent defiant Type political activist When to use this quote - activism - policy advocacy - public awareness - legal challenges Key Concepts civil liberties government overreach Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can protect privacy? - How to address security concerns while preserving liberty? A Different Perspective Balancing security and liberty is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accumulate Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accumulate-liberty-1863698/) [Complacency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Let Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-patriot-1367446/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Patriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot/) [Patriot act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriot-act/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [There comes a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/there-comes-a-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Is Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-is-now/) [Unpatriotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpatriotic/) [Unpatriotic Acts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unpatriotic-acts-5242148/) ## Related quotes > [I will not let the Patriot Act, the most unpatriotic of acts, go unchallenged. At the very least, we should debate. We should debate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-will-not-let-the-patriot-act-the-most-unpatriotic-of-acts-go/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I will not let the patriot act, the most un-patriotic of acts, go unchallenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-will-not-let-the-patriot-act-the-most-un-patriotic-of-acts-go/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Fear & complacency allow power to accumulate & liberty & privacy to suffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/fear-complacency-allow-power-to-accumulate-liberty-privacy-to-suffer/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Let every patriot be honored; Don't let politics get in the way. Without them, freedom would have died; What they did, we can't repay.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-every-patriot-be-honored-don-t-let-politics-get-in-the-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let us take a patriot, where we can meet him; and, that we may not flatter ourselves by false appearances, distinguish those marks which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/let-us-take-a-patriot-where-we-can-meet-him-and-that-we-may-not/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [In the aftermath of 9/11, the Patriot Act was rushed to the floor. Several hundred pages. Nobody read it ... But people voted because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-the-patriot-act-was-rushed-to-the-floor/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [How will we defend ourselves if the Patriot Act expires? Well, perhaps we could just rely on the Constitution and demonstrate exactly how traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/how-will-we-defend-ourselves-if-the-patriot-act-expires-well-perhaps/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-sajak/global-warming-alarmists-are-unpatriotic-racists-knowingly-misleading/) [Pat Sajak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-sajak/) > [It must never be unpatriotic to support your country against your government. It must always be unpatriotic to support your government against your country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-t-byington/it-must-never-be-unpatriotic-to-support-your-country-against-your/) [Steven T. Byington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-t-byington/) > [The American ideal of sexuality appears to be rooted in the American ideal of masculinity. This idea has created cowboys and Indians, good guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-of-sexuality-appears-to-be-rooted-in-the-american/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Louis Brandeis started off by embracing the Theodore Roosevelt notion that hyphenated Americanism was unpatriotic. You couldn't have dual loyalties. But then he thinks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rosen/louis-brandeis-started-off-by-embracing-the-theodore-roosevelt-notion/) [Jeffrey Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rosen/) > [And what terrifies me is that we're entering a phase where if you start to speak about this as something that can be understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/and-what-terrifies-me-is-that-we-re-entering-a-phase-where-if-you/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [The suspicion that immigrants are not to be trusted or are unpatriotic is not just wrong; it is un-American. And dangerous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/the-suspicion-that-immigrants-are-not-to-be-trusted-or-are/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [The quandary of many liberals in America and elsewhere is that they have largely outgrown patriotism but are afraid to face this fact. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fm-2030/the-quandary-of-many-liberals-in-america-and-elsewhere-is-that-they/) [FM-2030](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fm-2030/) ## More by Rand Paul > [I have a question, a question for the president: Do you hate all rich people, or just rich people who don't contribute to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-have-a-question-a-question-for-the-president-do-you-hate-all-rich/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I am encouraged President Obama now says he will fulfill his constitutional obligation to seek authorization for any potential military action in Syria. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-am-encouraged-president-obama-now-says-he-will-fulfill-his/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I can tell you who's planning terroris attacks. The leaders of ISIL. And I can tell you where they're at. They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [There comes a time, in the history of Nations when fear and forgetfulness cause a nation to hesitate, to waver and perhaps even to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/there-comes-a-time-in-the-history-of-nations-when-fear-and/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [As long as I sit at Henry Clay's desk, I will remember his lifelong desire to forge agreement, but I will also keep close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/as-long-as-i-sit-at-henry-clay-s-desk-i-will-remember-his-lifelong/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I believe people ought to be treated fairly under the law. I see no reason why if the marriage contract conveys certain things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-believe-people-ought-to-be-treated-fairly-under-the-law-i-see-no/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I think that, most importantly, when I see issues of war, I see them in a personal vein, and I am reluctant to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-that-most-importantly-when-i-see-issues-of-war-i-see-them-in/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I would have handled it differently than the mayor of Baltimore, that's for sure. I think it's a mistake to say, hey, guys, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-would-have-handled-it-differently-than-the-mayor-of-baltimore-that/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We have to think before we act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/we-have-to-think-before-we-act/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I would introduce and support legislation to send Roe v. Wade back to the states.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-would-introduce-and-support-legislation-to-send-roe-v-wade-back-to/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [President Obama, I think, wanted what was best for the country, but I think it didn't work well. I think we have the death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/president-obama-i-think-wanted-what-was-best-for-the-country-but-i/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I think it's a mistake to downgrade and say surveillance is no big deal. It is a huge deal that we are collecting millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-think-it-s-a-mistake-to-downgrade-and-say-surveillance-is-no-big/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We need a revival in the country,” Paul said. “We need another Great Awakening with tent revivals of thousands of people saying, 'reform or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/we-need-a-revival-in-the-country-paul-said-we-need-another-great/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We do not project power from bankruptcy court. We're borrowing a million dollars a minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/we-do-not-project-power-from-bankruptcy-court-we-re-borrowing-a/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [I can use most of the tools that every American teenager can master. Maybe not all of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-use-most-of-the-tools-that-every-american-teenager-can-master/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) [Explore all 449 Rand Paul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) ## More Complacency quotes > [“Complacency delivered us into the hands of evil greedy men like Cheney.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-rumzi/complacency-delivered-us-into-the-hands-of-evil-greedy-men-like-cheney/) [Sonia Rumzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-rumzi/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Don't let your success of today lay you into complacency for tomorrow. For that is the worst form of failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/don-t-let-your-success-of-today-lay-you-into-complacency-for-tomorrow/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election and power are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/one-of-the-reasons-people-hate-politics-is-that-truth-is-rarely-a/) [Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/) > [We are the best the show, others weak hold. Just to get complacency / which does not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/we-are-the-best-the-show-others-weak-hold-just-to-get-complacency/) [Mak\_786](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mak-786/) > [“It’s a fallacy that this generation does not know how to love as its predecessor did. Truth of the matter is, modern love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/it-s-a-fallacy-that-this-generation-does-not-know-how-to-love-as-its/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [“To move forward, one need only take the first step,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-neill/to-move-forward-one-need-only-take-the-first-step/) [Chase Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-neill/) > [Plato calls complacency the companion of loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/plato-calls-complacency-the-companion-of-loneliness/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [“Half the ingratitude and complacency in the world down to how slowly and imperceptibly most good and bad things unfold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/half-the-ingratitude-and-complacency-in-the-world-down-to-how-slowly/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [Don't let your special character and values, the secret that you know and no one else does, the truth - don't let that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/don-t-let-your-special-character-and-values-the-secret-that-you-know/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [In the mind engaged in struggling with hardship, one always finds something delightful. The sorrow of disappointment arises in the complacency of satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zicheng-hong/in-the-mind-engaged-in-struggling-with-hardship-one-always-finds/) [Zicheng Hong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zicheng-hong/) > [Complacency is a creeping danger. Unless wisdom sets in, you will never come to your senses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jey-lopez/complacency-is-a-creeping-danger-unless-wisdom-sets-in-you-will-never/) [Jey Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jey-lopez/) > [I have spoken about what we can do as citizens, what we can do as a responsive citizenry, and this is where we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-have-spoken-about-what-we-can-do-as-citizens-what-we-can-do-as-a/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [“Listen to Mr. Complacency long enough and he'll convince you that what you really, really need is a nap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-and-brett-harris/listen-to-mr-complacency-long-enough-and-he-ll-convince-you-that-what/) [Alex and Brett Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-and-brett-harris/) > [I always say, complacency is the kiss of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-redstone/i-always-say-complacency-is-the-kiss-of-death/) [Shari Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-redstone/) [Browse all 437 Complacency quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complacency/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There comes a time, there comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow power to accumulate and liberty and privacy to suffer. 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