Wiley Horne
In context, Ben Franklin was saying pretty near the opposite of what is implied in Mr. Morgan’s post. The quote came during the French-Indian Wars, when raids on the frontier settlements were a real problem in Pennsylvania.

Franklin was addressing the PA legislature, asking them to insist upon taxing the Penn family proprietors, to help pay for the collective defense of PA. Penn family wanted to pay a smallish lump sum, in exchange for the legislature stipulating it had no taxing authority over the Penn proprietors.

Franklin was telling the legislature that Liberty lay in taxation to provide for the collective defense, and there was no Safety to be bought by accepting the Penn family deal.

Franklin was advocating for doing the responsible thing: To take specific collective action against a real threat that was killing the citizenry.

Mr. Morgan is taking the opposing position: To deny any collective responsibility to act against a real and present threat that has so far killed 300,000 of us. Strange to use Ben Franklin’s words to support this thesis.

Wiley