Robert Green Ingersoll: "Crimes foram comprometidos em punir crimes, e...

"Crimes foram comprometidos em punir crimes, e os crimes estavam comprometidos em evitar crimes. O mundo foi preenchido com prisões e masmorras, com correntes e chicotes, com cruzes e gibbets, com aperto de mão e prateleiras, com hangmen e chefes - e, no entanto, esses meios e instrumentais assustadores têm cometido muito mais crimes do que eles impediram. .. ignorância, sujeira e pobreza são os missionários do crime. Enquanto o sucesso desonroso supera esforço honesto - contanto que a sociedade se curva e cringe diante dos grandes ladrões, haverá pequenos o suficiente para encher as prisões."

--- Robert Green Ingersoll

Versão em inglês

Crimes were committed to punish crimes, and crimes were committed to prevent crimes. The world has been filled with prisons and dungeons, with chains and whips, with crosses and gibbets, with thumbscrews and racks, with hangmen and heads-men — and yet these frightful means and instrumentalities have committed far more crimes than they have prevented.... Ignorance, filth, and poverty are the missionaries of crime. As long as dishonorable success outranks honest effort — as long as society bows and cringes before the great thieves, there will be little ones enough to fill the jails.