evidence: FACT CHECK: Did George Orwell Say This Quote About ‘Rough Men’? [...] In another essay, Orwell included a line with a similar sentiment while discussing pacifists: "Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf." The website Quote Investigator traced the quote to columnist Richard Grenier’s 1993 article in The Washington Times, where he wrote, "As George Orwell pointed out, people sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."