Daily Inspiration Quote by George Sutherland

A constitution that only “counts” when it flatters your side isn’t a constitution at all; it’s a mood. George Sutherland’s line lands with the clipped moral clarity of a judge who’s seen principles treated like disposable packaging: kept when convenient, tossed when sharp. The verb “pinch” is doing quiet work here. It evokes a small, immediate pain - the kind that tempts rationalization. Sutherland isn’t talking about heroic sacrifices; he’s warning about the everyday corrosion that happens when officials decide the rules are optional under pressure.

The construction also exposes a familiar political trick: people praise constitutional protections in the abstract, then hunt for loopholes when those protections shield someone they dislike. “Comfort” names the easy cases - free speech when you agree with the speaker, due process when it protects your allies, limits on power when your opponents hold office. “Pinch” names the hard cases, when the constitution restrains you. That’s the whole point of a higher law: it’s meant to bind the hand that wants to strike.

Context matters. Sutherland served during an era of roaring industrial growth, labor conflict, and expanding federal authority - a period when courts were constantly asked to referee the boundary between democratic demands and constitutional limits. His subtext is less “the constitution is perfect” than “selective obedience is a slow coup.” If you treat constitutional provisions as negotiable the moment they inconvenience you, you’re not defending order; you’re rehearsing abandonment.