That phrase originally had the opposite meaning: https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famous-liberty-safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-cen

That phrase originally had the opposite meaning: https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famous-liberty-safety-quote-lost-its-context-in-21st-century https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famou... > It is a quotation that defends the authority of a legislature to govern in the interests of collective security.