Quotations, Fav Movie Lines, and so on and so forth etc

[gmcbee]

This is a hoot, from the movie Albino Alligator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3sdKY-DKVY

[scoundrel]

Last words of Citizen Danton when about to be beheaded:

''Show my head to the people. It is worth seeing.''

[graftzig]

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by graftzig

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

For the benefit of non-American members, this is the text of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. It was and still is the definitive statement of the right of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, without which no state can claim to be a genuine democracy.

In practice, both in America and here in the UK, each generation has to stand up and defend this right, as the enemies of free speech always have expedient and pressing reasons to want to curtail it, just for the time being.

[scoundrel]

In 1956, Peter Lorre and Vincent Price went to Bela Lugosi's funeral. Price later told how, as he stood next to Peter Lorre and they watched the pall bearers lowering Lugosi's coffin into the open grave, Lorre whispered:

''Do you think we ought to drive a stake through his heart? Just to be absolutely sure?''

[tamsmith]

Dr Bruce Banner (AKA the Hulk).

Don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.

[imtrying]

"Uh-uh, I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or only five? Well, to tell you the truth, I lost track myself in all this excitement. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question, do I feel lucky? Well do you, punk"? "Dirty Harry" Callahan

[anklebiter]

Nuts! - General Anthony McAuliffe, 101st airborne
In reply to a German ultimatum for surrender at Bastogne, Battle of the Bulge.

[graftzig]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

For the benefit of non-American members, this is the text of the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America. It was and still is the definitive statement of the right of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, without which no state can claim to be a genuine democracy.

In practice, both in America and here in the UK, each generation has to stand up and defend this right, as the enemies of free speech always have expedient and pressing reasons to want to curtail it, just for the time being.

Thanks Scoundrel, I simply took it for granted. Besides, I'm a non-American member myself. Maybe that's why I appreciate it so much. As an American, one can simply take it for granted. But it is a major achievement that took 1000s of years. And today is the time to stand up for its defense once again.

[scoundrel]

John Amery was the English broadcaster on Mussolini's Radio Rome: an Anglo-Italian version of the infamous traitor William Joyce, who used to broadcast Hitler's propaganda into British homes from Berlin. He was the disgraced outcast son of an well known Tory political dynasty and his treason was never likely to pass un-noticed. Of all people, the man who captured him trying to escape to Switzerland in 1945 was Alan Whicker, a fellow broadcaster serving with the British Seventh Army in Italy. Amery was taken back to Britain, pleaded guilty to save his family the humiliation of a long trial, and sentenced to death.

Albert Pierrepoint was Britain's Crown-appointed chief public executioner. His father had been Britain's chief executioner before him and his uncle was chief executioner for the Irish republic at Mountjoy Prison. He executed various notorious criminals in the 1930s and during the war, plus 11 Nazi war criminals associated with the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, which fell to the British Army in April 1945: these 11 included Joseph Kramer, the commandant, and Juana Bormann, known as ''the woman with the dogs''.

John Amery's turn came up on 19 December 1945. Pierrepoint shook his hand underneath the scaffold, a usual gesture of commiseration if the prisoner was in a fit state to accept it, and Amery commented:

''Mr Poirrepoint! I've always wanted to meet you. Though not, of course, under these circumstances...''