Quotessence
Home / Authors / Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter Quotes

39th U.S. President

Filter quotes by topic

AllPeoplePresidentThinkingCountryWorldNationsHumansShouldStatesBelieve

Famous Jimmy Carter Quotes

“Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique, irreplaceable. More than twenty years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense. And he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness and good humor of this country.”

PeopleWorldYearsCountryFacesCultureBlackWhiteStyleChangedPersonalitySceneUniqueYears AgoTwentiesImpactFollowingOur CountryRhythmSymbolsImmenseVitalityUnprecedentedPopular CultureIrreplaceableGood HumorRhythm And Blues
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“The relationship between government and art must necessarily be a delicate one. It would not be appropriate for the government to try to define what is good or what is true or what is beautiful. But government can provide nourishment to the ground within which these ideas spring forth from the seeds of inspiration within the human mind.”

TryingMindHumansArtIdeasInspirationGovernmentBeautifulSpringSeedsAppropriateHuman MindDelicateNourishment
Book:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“On human rights, civil rights and environmental quality, I consider myself to be very liberal. On the management of government, on openness of government, on strengthening individual liberties and local levels of government, I consider myself a conservative. And I don't see that the two attitudes are incompatible.”

HumansTwoGovernmentIndividualLevelsAttitudeQualityLibertyRightsManagementEnvironmentalHuman RightsConservativeLocalsCivil RightsOpennessStrengtheningIndividual LibertyEnvironmental Quality
Book:Conversations with Carter
Create image

“All my playmates were black. I lived in a little community called Archery (ph) in a rural area. And I didn't have any white neighbors at all. So all my kids with whom I fought and wrestled and went fishing and worked in the field and so forth were African-Americans. And that was my life. So when I got to be school age, we had to separate during the daytime, but I always felt like I was in an alien environment when I was in Plains, Georgia with white kids. I was eager to get back where I belonged with my black playmates.”

LittlesKidsAgeSchoolFeltBlackCommunityWhiteEnvironmentFieldsAreasNeighborAliensAfrican AmericanFishingGet BackGeorgiaDaytimeArcheryRural Areas
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“In an all-out nuclear war, more destructive power than in all of World War II would be unleashed every second during the long afternoon it would take for all the missiles and bombs to fall. A World War II every second-more people killed in the first few hours than all the wars of history put together. The survivors, if any, would live in despair amid the poisoned ruins of a civilization that had committed suicide.”

PeopleIfsWorldFirstsLongWarWould BeTogetherFallHoursCivilizationDespairSuicideCommittedNuclearRuinsWar Of The WorldsBombsDestructiveSurvivorAfternoonWorld War IiWorld War IMissilesNuclear WarEvery SecondUnleashedDestructive Power
Book:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”

MeanStatesAmericaForceInterestUnitedUnited StatesClearMilitaryPositionGainsIncludingRegionsUnited States Of AmericaAssaultPersianMilitary ForcePersian Gulf
Book:Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President
Create image

“The most important Bible teaching that I remembered when I was in the Navy and when I was Commander-in-Chief, was that we worshipped The Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is The Prince of Peace. So, I considered myself, as a submarine officer, as helping to preserve the peace. And I felt the same way when I was president.”

WayImportantHelpingJesusFeltPresidentChristTeachingJesus ChristChiefsPreservesRememberedOfficersNavyCommandersCommander In ChiefSubmarinesPrince Of Peace
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“As a matter of fact, although we had some terrible challenges and temptations when I was in office, we never dropped a bomb... we never launched a missile... and we never fired a bullet. I think that one of the main requirements for a strong military, like a strong submarine force, is to prevent war, not to cause war.”

ThinkingWarMatterFactsStrongForceCausesChallengesMilitaryTerribleOfficeTemptationBombsBulletsRequirementsMissilesMatter Of FactSubmarines
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“I think that the best approach would be if the American people ever insist that we cut down on the massive amounts of money that moves into the campaigns from special interest groups, and if we resist publicly by saying "No more negative advertisements that destroy the reputations of one's opponents." In the meantime, just don't pay any attention to negative ads, if you can avoid them, and try to focus on the issues.”

PeopleIfsThinkingTryingWould BeMovingInterestPayAttentionIssuesFocusCuttingGroupsSpecialAmountApproachNegativeCampaignsReputationOpponentsMassiveAdsSaying NoAdvertisementsSpecial InterestsInterest GroupsSpecial Interest Groups
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“I tried to eliminate the need for Israel to strike out, militarily, by removing its major threat and attacker, and that was Egypt. I've written a few books on the subject. There's no doubt that the best way to resolve Israel's problems is to negotiate peace between Israel and its immediate neighbors, particularly the Palestinians. And that's something that's not going to be achieved, in my opinion, without the strong involvement of the American president.”

WayNeedsBookProblemStrongPresidentOpinionDoubtWrittenSubjectsMajorsThreatIsraelStrikesNeighborBest WayNo DoubtResolvePalestinianEgyptInvolvementAmerican President
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“My faith has helped me to adjust to life whether I was a small farm boy, a submarine officer, governor, president or an ex-president. I've tried to remember the teaching that we have to accommodate change we can't control in our lives, whether it's disappointment, sorrow, loss or failure, while simultaneously clinging to principles that never change.”

RememberPresidentLossBoysPrinciplesOur LivesTeachingSorrowDisappointmentFarmsOfficersGovernorsExesNever ChangeClingingAccommodateSubmarines
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“With overwhelming military strength now deployed against him and with intense monitoring from space surveillance and the U.N. inspection team on the ground, any belligerent move by Saddam against a neighbor would be suicidal....If Iraq does possess such concealed weapons, as is quite likely, Saddam would use them only in the most extreme circumstances, in the face of an invasion of Iraq, when all hope of avoiding the destruction of his regime is lost.”

IfsDoeUseWould BeFacesMovingLostSpaceTeamMilitaryCircumstancesWeaponsDestructionIraqExtremesNeighborIntenseOverwhelmingRegimesAvoidingSaddamSuicidalInvasionSurveillanceConcealedInspectionMonitoringConcealed Weapons
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“The cost of an on-site inspection team would be minuscule compared to war, Saddam would have no choice except to comply, the results would be certain, military and civilian casualties would be avoided, there would be almost unanimous worldwide support, and the United States could regain its leadership in combating the real threat of international terrorism.”

WarRealStatesWould BeCertainChoicesUnitedResultsUnited StatesSupportTeamMilitaryCostThreatInternationalTerrorismSiteSaddamAvoidedCiviliansCasualtiesInspectionInternational TerrorismCivilian Casualties
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“In the Great Depression in which I grew up and remember vividly, unemployment was over 25 percent, and over 35 percent where I lived. A grown man would work all day, 16 hours, for a dollar. I remember hundreds of people walking by, people who had come down from the North just to get warm. They would come to our house as beggars even though they might have a college education. People didn't have money. They bartered; they'd trade eggs or pigs. It was just completely different.”

PeopleMenDifferentMightRememberHouseHoursCollegeGrewWalkingGrew UpPercentTradeDollarsWarmEggsPigsUnemploymentBeggarGreat DepressionCollege EducationGrown Man
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image

“On both of my major trips to North Korea, the leaders of the country made it plain that they want to make progress towards doing away with nuclear weapons and towards ending the longstanding, official state of war which persists between North Korea and the United States and South Korea, a war which has continued since the ceasefire over fifty years ago. That sort of thing happens quite often when we meet with people who are kind of international outcasts with whom the government of the United States won't meet.”

PeopleWantYearsKindMadeWarCountryStatesGovernmentHappensUnitedLeaderUnited StatesProgressMajorsWeaponsYears AgoSouthInternationalNuclearThings HappenMade ItOfficialsFiftyNuclear WeaponsPersistKoreaNorth KoreaOutcastSouth KoreaCeasefire
Author:Jimmy Carter
Create image