There was no freer moment than being in that prison.

“When you get arrested, it’s difficult because your hands are restrained and the movement is a little bit stymied or halted on the physical level. But it’s my hope that the larger movement, even with the chains on, can do nothing but grow to the point where it cannot be controlled by anything but that freeing and that dignified expression of getting arrested for what you know is absolutely morally right. There was no freer moment than being in that prison. It was freeing for me, and I thought of all of the other people that were still trapped, that were still handcuffed and fettered in their hearts. And we might have been caged up physically, but the message was very clear to all of the people who think that equality can be purchased with a donation or with a cocktail party or with tokens — that are serving in a public role. We are worth more than tokens. We have absolute value, and when the person who is oppressed by his own country wants to find out how to get that dignity back — being chained up and being arrested, that’s how you get your dignity conferred back upon you. … We’re going to do it again. And we’re going to keep doing it until the promises are manifest. And we will not stop. This is a very clear message to President Obama and any other leader who supposes to talk for the American promise and the American people: We will not go away.”

–Lt. Dan Choi on March 19 after he was arrested a day earlier for handcuffing himself to the White House fence to protest “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

By Rex Wockner