Insight: “What shall be done with the four million slaves if they are emancipated? … Our answer is, do nothing with them; mind your business, and let them mind theirs. Your doing with them is their greatest misfortune. They have been undone by your doings, and all they now ask, and really have need of at your hands, is just to let them alone. They suffer by every interference, and succeed best by being let alone.” —Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

Observations: “It is not enough that Americans have Constitutional rights to free speech. We can’t live with each other unless we have a culture of rights, in which we respect each other’s rights to say things we don’t like. That’s disappearing incredibly fast, which is spectacularly dangerous.” —Ben Shapiro

For the record: “Your lack of leadership on this important issue continues to fail the people you have sworn to protect…. More Americans have been killed in Chicago than in combat zones of Afghanistan and Iraq combined since September 11, 2001, a deadly trend that has continued under your tenure.” —Donald Trump in a letter to Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot

Belly laugh of the week: “Barack Obama was looking forward to retirement away from the grind of politics and campaigning. But slowly, reluctantly, he is being drawn back.” —The New York Times

Race bait: “Trump has disrespected Native communities time and again. He’s attempted to limit their voting rights and blocked critical pandemic relief. Now he’s holding a rally glorifying white supremacy at Mount Rushmore — a region once sacred to tribal communities.” —Democratic National Committee

The BIG Lie: “[The Russia/Taliban bounty allegation] is a scandal. I mean, [Republicans] wanted to make a big deal about Benghazi? This makes Benghazi look like playing with toys. This is a big deal, and they are not treating it like it’s a big deal.” —former Senator Claire McCaskill

Non compos mentis: “While we await details of this tragic killing, it highlights capitalism’s brutality & endemic violence. Our movement rejects insinuations & falsehoods perpetuated by corporate & conservative media that this violence is outcome of CHOP or of our movement.” —Seattle councilwoman Kshama Sawant on the news that another person was murdered in that city’s “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest”

And last… “The Left is now at the point of getting sincerely offended if you don’t just lay down obediently and let them assault you and burn your house down.” —Matt Walsh