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Eric Holder

Eric Holder Quotes

United States Attorney General

Eric Holder, born on January 21, 1951, is a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as the 82nd United States Attorney General from 2009 to 2015. Holder is known for his extensive legal career and his role in shaping significant policy decisions during his tenure as Attorney General.

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Famous Eric Holder Quotes

“Truth manifests itself to all logical people”

Truth Logic Intelligence Manifestation Logical Manifest Intellectualism Revealing The Truth

Author:Eric Holder

“I think they clearly do not fit within the prescriptions of the Geneva Convention. It's hard for me to see how members of al Qaeda could be considered prisoners of war.”

Thinking War Hard Fit Members Als Prisoner Conventions Prescriptions Al Qaeda Geneva Prisoner Of War Geneva Convention

Author:Eric Holder

“[I] can't actually imagine a time in which the need for more diversity would ever cease. Affirmative action has been an issue since segregation practices. The question is not when does it end, but when does it begin [..] When do people of color truly get the benefits to which they are entitled?”

People Needs Doe Has Beens I Can Ends Action Practice Issues Imagine Color Benefits Diversity Cease Entitled Segregation Affirmative Action Affirmative

Author:Eric Holder

“To those in the executive branch who say ‘just trust us’ when it comes to secret and warrantless surveillance of domestic communications, I say, ‘Remember your history.’”

Remember Secret Communication Branches Executives Surveillance Nsa Executive Branch

Author:Eric Holder

“With all do respect, senator, I don't think this is an appropriate setting for me to discuss that issue. I'd be more than glad to come back in an appropriate setting to discuss the issues that you have raised.”

Thinking Issues Raised Glad Setting Settings Appropriate Senators Nsa

Author:Eric Holder

“I think there are too many people in jail for too long and for not necessarily good reasons.”

People Thinking Long Reason Jail

Author:Eric Holder

“There are a whole variety of reasons I want to be attorney general, a whole variety of things that I do as attorney general that go beyond national security.”

Want Reason Whole Security Variety National Security Attorney

Author:Eric Holder

“In the months ahead, I will leave the Department of Justice, but I will never -- I will never -- leave the work. I will continue to serve and try to find ways to make our nation even more true to its founding ideals.”

Way Trying Father Politics Nations Leadership Work Justice History Democracy Policy Months Ideals Constitution Strategy Ideology Department Founding

Author:Eric Holder

“At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message.”

Law Community Military Messages Concerned Locals Vehicle Equipment Law Enforcement Enforcement Deployment Local Community Military Equipment

Author:Eric Holder

“I'll leave here with my head held high and with confidence that history will judge my time here.”

Judging My Time

Author:Eric Holder

“It pains me whenever there's the death of a law enforcement official.”

Pain Law Officials Law Enforcement Enforcement

Author:Eric Holder

“Whether it is an attempt to bomb the New York City subway system, an attempt to bring down an airplane over Detroit, an attempt to set off a bomb in Times Square ... I think that gives us a sense of the breadth of the challenges that we face, and the kinds of things that our enemy is trying to do.”

Thinking Giving Trying Kind Faces Challenges Cities Enemy New York Bombs New York City Squares Airplane Detroit Subway Breadth Times Square

Author:Eric Holder

“It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods. These laws try to fix something that was never broken. There has always been a legal defense for using deadly force if - and the 'if' is important - if no safe retreat is available. But we must examine laws that take this further by eliminating the common sense and age-old requirement that people who feel threatened have a duty to retreat, outside their home, if they can do so safely.”

“We must stand our ground to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent.”

Looks Hard Law Violence

Author:Eric Holder

“We need election systems that are free from fraud, discrimination, and partisan influence and that are more, not less, accessible to the citizens of this country.”

Country Influence Election Discrimination Fraud

Author:Eric Holder

“Let's deal with reality. The reality is that we will be reading Miranda rights to the corpse of Osama bin Laden. He will never appear in an American courtroom.”

Reality Reading Deals Rights Reading Books Corpses Bin Laden Osama Bin Laden Courtroom Miranda

Author:Eric Holder

“If you want to call me an activist attorney general, I will proudly accept that label.”

Ifs Want Accepting Labels Call Me Activist Attorney

Author:Eric Holder

“We are not programmed to bury our kids.”

Author:Eric Holder

“Due process and judicial process are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security.”

Process Security Dues National Security Judicial Due Process

Author:Eric Holder

“I don't have any intention of resigning.”

Intention Resigning

Author:Eric Holder

“I think that what I'm doing is right. And election-year politics, which intensifies everything, is not going to drive me off that course.”

Thinking Years Courses Election Election Years

Author:Eric Holder

“I'm not going to let people who work in the United States Department of Justice have their characters be assailed without any basis.”

People States Character Justice United United States Bases Department

Author:Eric Holder

“I am the attorney general of the United States. But I am also a black man.”

Men States Black United United States Attorney

Author:Eric Holder

“When you compare what people endured in the South in the 60s to try to get the right to vote for African Americans, and to compare what people were subjected to there to what happened in Philadelphia - which was inappropriate, certainly that . . . to describe it in those terms I think does a great disservice to people who put their lives on the line, who risked all, for my people.”

People Thinking Trying Doe Term Lines Happened Vote South African American Compare Philadelphia Inappropriate Right To Vote Disservice

Author:Eric Holder

“Saturdays and Sundays, America in the year 2009 does not in some ways differ significantly from the country that existed almost 50 years ago. This is truly sad.”

Way Years Doe Country America Years Ago Sunday Saturday Saturday And Sunday

Author:Eric Holder

“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards”

Way Believe I Believe Nations Coward Pot Hateful Melting Melting Pot

Author:Eric Holder

“There's a certain level of vehemence, it seems to me, that's directed at me [and] directed at the president. You know, people talking about taking their country back. There's a certain racial component to this for some people. I don't think this is the thing that is a main driver, but for some there's a racial animus.”

People Thinking Knows Country Seems Certain President Levels Talking Drivers Components Obnoxious People Talking Vehemence Animus

Author:Eric Holder

“Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long, and for no truly good law enforcement reason.”

Long Reason Law Prison Law Enforcement Enforcement

Author:Eric Holder

“Good luck with your asparagus.”

Luck Good Luck Asparagus

Author:Eric Holder

“No individual or company, no matter how large or how profitable, is above the law.”

Matter Law Individual Company Profitable Above The Law

Author:Eric Holder

“It is possible, I supposed, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States.”

States Use Would Be Law Force President United United States Imagine Military Circumstances Constitution Extraordinary Appropriate Territory

Author:Eric Holder

“Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who is a senior operational leader of al Qaeda or associated forces. This is simply not accurate. 'Due process' and 'judicial process' are not one and the same, particularly when it comes to national security. The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process.”

“Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion, and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we, average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about things racial.”

Enough Political Nations Race Issues Average Significant Discussion Related Portions

Author:Eric Holder

“I think that people, despite my law enforcement background, view me as taking these consistently progressive stands, and I think that, philosophically, there is a desire to get at that person. But I think the stands I have taken are totally consistent with a person who is looking at things realistically, factually.”

People Thinking Persons Law Desire Views Taken Backgrounds Despite Consistent Progressive Consistently Law Enforcement Enforcement

Author:Eric Holder

“You constantly hear about voter fraud... but you don't see huge amounts of vote fraud out there.”

Huge Amount Vote Voters Fraud Voter Fraud

Author:Eric Holder

“Any decision to use lethal force against a United States citizen - even one intent on murdering Americans and who has become an operational leader of al-Qaida in a foreign land - is among the gravest that government leaders can face.”

States Use Government Faces Force Decision United Leader United States Land Citizens Als Foreign Lands

Author:Eric Holder

“The American people can be - and deserve to be - assured that actions taken in their defense are consistent with their values and their laws.”

People Action Law Values Taken Deserve Defense Consistent Assured

Author:Eric Holder

“The Constitution guarantees due process, not judicial process.”

Process Constitution Dues Guarantees Judicial Due Process

Author:Eric Holder

“One cannot understate the importance of eliminating Bin Laden. He was a symbolic head of the organisation and, as we now know, an operational head of the organisation.”

Knows Importance Symbolic Bin Laden Organisation Eliminating

Author:Eric Holder

“I understand the Second Amendment. I respect the Second Amendment. I think we need to use common sense tools to keep the American people safe, to keep our streets safe.”

People Thinking Needs Use Common Streets Safe Tools Common Sense Amendments Second Amendment

Author:Eric Holder

“Guantanamo is a chief recruiting tool for al-Qaida. It has put a wedge between the United States and at least some of its allies.”

States United United States Tools Chiefs Als Allies Wedges Guantanamo

Author:Eric Holder

“I don't even talk about whether or not racial profiling is legal. I just don't think racial profiling is a particularly good law enforcement tool.”

Thinking Law Tools Law Enforcement Enforcement Racial Profiling

Author:Eric Holder

“I look forward to working with the NRA to come up with ways in which we can use common sense approaches to reduce the level of violence that we see - in our streets, and make the American people as safe as they possibly can be.”

People Way Looks Use Levels Common Violence Streets Safe Approach Come Up Common Sense Nra

Author:Eric Holder

“I'm a 21st century guy, secure in who I am.”

Guy Century Who I Am Secure 21st Century

Author:Eric Holder

“I'm a hard headed lawyer.”

Author:Eric Holder

“It's a sad indication of where Washington has come, where policy differences almost necessarily become questions of integrity. I came to Washington in the late '70s, and people had the ability in the past to have intense policy differences but didn't feel the need to question the other person's character.”

People Needs Feels Persons Character Past Differences Ability Policy Integrity Late Intense Indication

Author:Eric Holder

“One of the things I learned is that you've got to deal with the underlying social problems if you want to have an impact on crime - that it's not a coincidence that you see the greatest amount of violent crime where you see the greatest amount of social dysfunction.”

Ifs Want Problem Social Deals Crime Amount Impact Violent Coincidence Dysfunction Social Problems Violent Crimes

Author:Eric Holder

“Operation Fast and Furious was flawed in concept and flawed in execution. The tactics used in this operation violate Department of Justice policy and should never have been used.”

Should Has Beens Used Justice Policy Concepts Operations Department Execution Tactics Flawed Furious

Author:Eric Holder

“People feel uncomfortable talking about racial issues out of fear that if they express things they will be characterized in a way that's not fair. I think that there is still a need for a dialogue about things racial that we have not engaged in.”

People Ifs Thinking Way Needs Feels Stills Talking Issues Fairs Dialogue Uncomfortable Engaged Not Fair

Author:Eric Holder

About the Author

Born: January 21, 1951
Known for: United States Attorney General
Quotes: 49

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