Freedom Comes not from the Barrel of a Gun

   Coming home, I thought up the phase, "A nation's freedom lies not in the presence of guns, but in the presence of peace." It had a nice sound to it, but I couldn't really say that I believed the sentiment it expressed.
   So, how else to complete the phrase, "A nation's freedom lies not in the presence of guns"? 
   Arriving home, I sat down at my computer, and about the first thing I read was a quote attributed to Mao Tse-tung, which began, "All political power comes from the barrel of a gun."
   And, I borrowed from that verbiage to rewrite my thought to, "Freedom comes not from the barrel of a gun," and then tacked on the ending, ". . . but from the heart of a patriot."
   Then, I adjusted my quote to, "Freedom comes not to the nation that seeks it with guns, but to the nation that seeks it by seeking truth," meaning that a people that questions what is going on, and seeks the truth in all political issues, is the nation best equipped to remain free.
   Then, I completed my original entry to say, "A nation's freedom lies not in the presence of guns, but in the presence of citizens vigilant against losing it."
   Also, "Freedom comes not from force, but from a mind that will not be forced."
   Or, "Freedom comes not from the barrel of a gun, but to the man who will not be controlled when facing the barrel of a gun."