A Quote by Winston Churchill

One of the most important signs of the existence of a democracy is that when there is a knock at the door at 5 in the morning, one is completely certain that it is the milkman.

Winston Churchill

Quote Topics

Certain Democracy Door Existence Important Knock Milkman Morning Most Signs The Most Important

Quote Author

Winston Churchill
British - Statesman
November 30, 1874 - January 24, 1965

Democracy means that when there's a knock in the door at 3 am, it's probably the milkman.

Winston Churchill

I was a normal child. Which is to say, I was selfish and I was not entirely convinced of the existence of things that were not me, and I was certain, rock-solid, unshakeably certain, that I was the most important thing in creation. There was nothing that was more important to me than I was.

Neil Gaiman

At the door of every happy person there should be a man with a hammer whose knock would serve as a constant reminder of the existence of unfortunate people.

Anton Chekhov

As a rule, dictatorships guarantee safe streets and terror of the doorbell. In democracy the streets may be unsafe after dark, but the most likely visitor in the early hours will be the milkman.

Adam Michnik

Imagine you wake up one morning with a knock at the door, and when you answer, there's Denzel Washington announcing that he's going to be filming on your street for several weeks.

Stephen Henderson

One of the signs that things are going reasonably well for democracy is that we have the states where they're closer to the people. Federalism is a strength. We have all of these civil society institutions - civil society is a very important hallmark of democracy.

Condoleezza Rice

Democracy means that if the doorbell rings in the early hours, it is likely to be the milkman.

Winston Churchill

I love the idea of a tiny window between the back stoop and the pantry, where the milkman would pass through the cheese. But of course, there is no milkman anymore. So somebody coming by the house and seeing the window would say, 'Oh, that must be original, because that's where the milkman passed the cheese through to the pantry.'

Chris Van Allsburg

...after a night spent writing poetry, one is almost happy to hear the milkman at the door.

Wallace Stevens

Humble yourself"--it is a humbling experience to knock at God's door--you have to knock with the crucified thief. "To him that knocketh, it shall be opened.

Oswald Chambers

Freedom is when one hears the bell at seven o'clock in the morning and knows it is the milkman and not the Gestapo.

Georges Bidault

I was living in a suburban town north of London, dutifully practicing my Mozart sonatas. And the milkman who delivered the milk in the mornings was kind of milkman by day, composer-artist by night.

Max Richter

I seen her with the milkman, riding down the street. When you're through with my baby, milkman, send her home to me.

Randy Newman

The master is already merged into existence. Merging into the master you are really merging with existence itself. The master functions only as a door, and a door is an emptiness; you pass through it. The master is the door to the beyond.