Cole > Cole's Quotes

“The germ of creation lies in violence.”
― Rudolfo Anaya, Bless Me, Ultima

“Maxim 37:
There is no "overkill."
There is only "open fire" and "reload."

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“Repeat one word of what I just said and I'll cheerfully beat you to death, Mike.”
― Stephenie Meyer

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable."

[Remarks on the first anniversary of the Alliance for Progress, 13 March 1962]”
― John F. Kennedy

“Poverty is the worst form of violence.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

“You can't talk about fucking in America, people say you're dirty. But if you talk about killing somebody, that's cool.”
― Richard Pryor

“I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence.”
― John Lennon

“Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”
― Yehuda Bauer

“As much as it hurts, I would rather miss someone than hit someone.”
― Brian Celio

“When a child hits a child, we call it aggression.
When a child hits an adult, we call it hostility.
When an adult hits an adult, we call it assault.
When an adult hits a child, we call it discipline.”
― Haim G. Ginott

“Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.”
― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays

“If everyone who had a gun just shot themselves, there wouldn't be a problem.”
― George Harrison

“If it's natural to kill, how come men have to go into training to learn how?”
― Joan Baez

“You better watch out.
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why,
Cause Santa Clause might put a cap in your ass.”
― Craig Ferguson

“If we can use an H-bomb--and as you said it's no checker game; it's real, it's war and nobody is fooling around--isn't it sort of ridiculous to go crawling around in the weeds, throwing knives and maybe getting yourself killed . . . and even losing the war . . . when you've got a real weapon you can use to win? What's the point in a whole lot of men risking their lives with obsolete weapons when one professor type can do so much more just by pushing a button?'
Zim didn't answer at once, which wasn't like him at all. Then he said softly, 'Are you happy in the Infantry, Hendrick? You can resign, you know.'
Hendrick muttered something; Zim said, 'Speak up!'
I'm not itching to resign, sir. I'm going to sweat out my term.'
I see. Well, the question you asked is one that a sergeant isn't really qualified to answer . . . and one that you shouldn't ask me. You're supposed to know the answer before you join up. Or you should. Did your school have a course in History and Moral Philosophy?'
What? Sure--yes, sir.'
Then you've heard the answer. But I'll give you my own--unofficial--views on it. If you wanted to teach a baby a lesson, would you cuts its head off?'
Why . . . no, sir!'
Of course not. You'd paddle it. There can be circumstances when it's just as foolish to hit an enemy with an H-Bomb as it would be to spank a baby with an ax. War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him . . . but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing . . . but controlled and purposeful violence. But it's not your business or mine to decide the purpose of the control. It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how--or why--he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals. The statesmen decide why and how much; the generals take it from there and tell us where and when and how. We supply the violence; other people--"older and wiser heads," as they say--supply the control. Which is as it should be. That's the best answer I can give you. If it doesn't satisfy you, I'll get you a chit to go talk to the regimental commander. If he can't convince you--then go home and be a civilian! Because in that case you will certainly never make a soldier.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers

“A weapon does not decide whether or not to kill. A weapon is a manifestation of a decision that has already been made.”
― Steven Galloway, The Cellist of Sarajevo

“As a teacher of fourth-graders in a public school, where corporal punishement was not allowed, she had years of violence stored up and was, truth be told, sort of enjoying letting it out on Kona, who she felt could have been the poster child for the failure of public education.”
― Christopher Moore, Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings

“It is not what you can do for your country, but what you can do for all of mankind.”
― Mike Norton

“To me, the best zombie movies aren’t the splatter fests of gore and violence with goofy characters and tongue in cheek antics. Good zombie movies show us how messed up we are, they make us question our station in society… and our society’s station in the world. They show us gore and violence and all that cool stuff too… but there’s always an undercurrent of social commentary and thoughtfulness.”
― Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye

“The most dangerous men on earth are those who are afraid they are wimps”
― James Gilligan

“Violence is as American as cherry pie”
― H. R. Schiffman

“Maxim 10:
Sometimes the only way out is through... through the hull.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“What do you think? Overkill?"

"I don't believe there is any such thing.
But in this case, 'yes, overkill.”
― Howard Tayler, The Teraport Wars

“Violence is spiritual junk food, and boredom is spiritual anorexia.”
― Peter Kreeft, Jesus-Shock

“War is not a means but an end. It makes violence respectable and makes sadists look like heroes.”
― Mary Horlock

“Maxim 12:
A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“Maxim 6:
If violence wasn't your last resort, you failed to resort to enough of it.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“Maxim 27:
Don't be afraid to be the first to resort to violence.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed....Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night

“I pray to the God within me that He will give me the strength to ask Him the right questions.”
― Elie Wiesel, Night