We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for thirty or forty or fifty years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We see only the oppressive side of authority. Maybe it comes out of our history and our background. What we don't see is that freedom is not a concept in which people can do anything they want, be anything they can be. Freedom is about authority. Freedom is about the willingness of every single human being to cede to lawful authority a great deal of discretion about what you do.


Speech at a forum on crime in the cities, as quoted in The New York Times (March 20, 1994)

The New York Times 'Freedom Is About Authority' - Excerpts From Giuliani Speech on Crime - NYTimes.com

Rudy Giuliani Quotes

We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for thirty or forty or fifty years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We ...

We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for thirty or forty or fifty years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We ...

We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for thirty or forty or fifty years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We ...

We look upon authority too often and focus over and over again, for thirty or forty or fifty years, as if there is something wrong with authority. We ...