Boxes which (help) preserve our freedoms
Webpages which feature quotations about freedom and liberty often include
one of the following, and they almost always attribute it to "Anonymous":
- We preserve our freedoms using three boxes: ballot,
jury, and cartridge.
- We preserve our freedoms using four boxes: soap, ballot,
jury, and cartridge.
- Five boxes preserve our freedoms: soap, ballot, witness,
jury, and cartridge.
- Six boxes preserve our freedoms: cash, soap, ballot, witness,
jury, and cartridge.
but, for the last three, that "Anonymous" should be "Myron A. Calhoun"!
Web searchs show that, as early as July, 1991, I closed emails with:
"We preserve our freedoms using three boxes:
ballot, jury, and cartridge."
Although I don't remember from whence it came, I am sure that *I* did NOT
originate the three-box version! However, after I began using it,
some unremembered correspondent told me I had left out the soap box, so by
April, 1993, my email "signature" included:
"We preserve our freedoms using four boxes:
soap, ballot, jury, and cartridge."
Later, another correspondent suggested a fifth box, and still later, another
correspondent suggested a sixth box. For each suggestion I had to re-word
my "signature" a little to keep it under 80 characters (so it wouldn't
"wrap" on the CRT screens of that era), and now, my email "signature"
almost always includes:
"Six boxes preserve our freedoms:
cash, soap, ballot, witness, jury, and cartridge."
I once attended a politically-related meeting and, much to my surprise
and delight, the speaker's powerpoint presentation opened with my
five-box version -- but it wasn't attributed to anyone. However,
when I claimed it, someone else at the meeting who knew me agreed that
it was MY quotation!
Just thought you'd like to know "the rest of the story"
(with credit to Paul Harvey for that famous phrase).
This page was last modified on Sunday, 2 December, 2012.