What did Sam Adams mean in the following quote and how is it relevant today?

Question

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution,
are worth defending at all hazards;
and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks.
We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors:
they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure
and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence.
It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation,
enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us
by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them
by the artifices of false and designing men."

Answer 1

Thank you so much for reminding all of us who are interested in truth, of that quote!!

I cannot add much to the quote, I think it explains itself quite clearly. I can only point out that his warning MUST BE HEEDED!!

What has happened to the wisdom of our founding fathers?
Is our society today so foolish or self-absorbed they cannot understand the simple definitions of freedom and liberty? We constantly see arguments from the likes of the ACLU that we must permit all sorts of degrading "speech" in the name of freedom. The ACLU wants laws that refuse to acknowledge the value of moral restraint due to the fact that they are usually based on a faith in some superior authority. They want all references to faith removed from our society.
(All responsible individuals recognize the need for restraint regardless of their views on WHY, but faith has a stabilizing influence because it creates the foundation needed to avoid being shaken by specious arguments.)
Those propositions forwarded by the ACLU, and thier kind, are both false and wrong-headed arguments based on the FEARS of those promoting such anti-civil views. Those fears are that some day they may be held accountable for their actions if they insist on pursuing activities that are immoral, unethical or degrading to our souls.
Don't fall for those false arguments.
Could ACLU mean "ANTI-Civil Liberties Union"? The results of their activities result in a LESS civilized society.
ACLU : Anit-Constitution Lawyer's Union, Anti-Christian Lawyer's Union...

Answer 2

He is basically saying, our nation, our freedom, was not given, it was earned by the trials and tribulations of our ancestors, and that it is worth defending from all who would take it from us. The generation who fails to protect our freedoms from within, from the men who would take them by violence without a struggle (meaning by force that isn't resisted by the people), or cheat us out of them, would forever bear a mark of infamy.

I think the baby-boomer generation deserves this mark of infamy, for failing to protect our freedoms from "the artifices of false and designing men." Look at our government since the late 70's. We have steadily given up more freedom and demanded less accountability. Great injustices like the "patriot act" an example of giving up all of our rights to the government, for the false promise of saftey, have yet to be remedied.

The ignorant mass that is the baby-boom generation simply doesn't realize that not only are they giving away their freedoms to false and designing men, they are giving away the freedoms of their children, and future generations.