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Citizens Quotes

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Citizens Quotes

“We must understand what our idea of wealth is. Is it just about more buildings, more machines, more cars, more of everything? More and more is death. In the most affluent societies in the world, for example in the United States of America, a significant percentage of the population is on anti-depressants on a regular basis. If you just withdraw one particular medication from the market, almost half the nation will go crazy. That is not wellbeing. Generally, an American citizen has everything that anyone would dream of.”

“That provision in the constitution which requires that the president shall be a native-born citizen (unless he were a citizen of the United States when the constitution was adopted,) is a happy means of security against foreign influence, which, where-ever it is capable of being exerted, is to be dreaded more than the plague.”

Mean States President Born United United States Influence Security Citizens Capable Constitution Native Adopted Plague Provision

Book:Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States; and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Five Volumes. With an Appendix to Each Volume, Containing Short Tracts Upon Such Subjects as Appeared Necessary to Form a Connected View of the Laws of Virginia, as a Member of the Federal Union

Source: Blackstone's Commentaries: With Notes of Reference, to the Constitution and Laws, of the Federal Government of the United States; and of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In Five Volumes. With an Appendix to Each Volume, Containing Short Tracts Upon Such Subjects as Appeared Necessary to Form a Connected View of the Laws of Virginia, as a Member of the Federal Union

“I believe in a reasonable amount of "right to bear arms". But private citizens of the United States are not allowed to own nuclear weapons. I always wanted a nuclear weapon, if I could have gotten one. I'm every other kind of power, but I'm not a nuclear power.”

“All from other lands, who by the terms of [congressional] laws and a compliance with their provisions become naturalized, are adopted citizens of the United States; all other persons born within the Republic, of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty, are natural born citizens. Gentleman [sic] can find no exception to this statement touching natural-born citizens except what is said in the Constitution relating to Indians.”

“Every human being born within the United States of parents not owing allegiance to any foreign sovereignty is in the language of your Constitution itself, a natural born citizen.”

Humans States Language Parent Born Natural Human Beings United United States Citizens Constitution Sovereignty Allegiance Owing

Author:John Bingham

“Islamic terrorists are the greatest security threats to the United States, both domestically and abroad. We need to be vigilant every day. Now, every citizen has to be vigilant because they are vital links in the national security chain.”

Needs States United United States Security Citizens Threat Terrorist Chains Islamic Links National Security Vigilant

Author:Ralph Abraham

“Although I have to leave you as mayor soon, I resume the much more honorable title of citizen of New York, and citizen of the United States.”

States United United States New York Citizens Titles Honorable Mayors Resumes

Author:Rudy Giuliani

“Big money buys access in Washington, and access purchases influence. It is as simple as that. And they have basically given a green light, a further green light, after Citizens United, to the biggest money to have the bigger voice in our politics, and to sound out and drown out the voice of just ordinary citizens.”

Bigs Light Given Sound Voice Simple United Influence Citizens Ordinary Bigger Green Access Ordinary Citizens Green Lights Citizens United

Author:Mark Shields

“On the subject of money and politics and the rest, I have a DARE: Disclose who are these people; Amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United; Reform: let's have public financing of campaigns; and Empower.”

People United Subjects Citizens Constitution Dare Campaigns Reform Empowering Financing Citizens United

Author:Nancy Pelosi

“Secondly, there are such things as roving wiretaps. Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires - a wiretap requires a court order. [...] Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. [...]”

“In the string of amazing decisions made during the first year of the Obama administration, nothing seems more like sheer insanity than the decision to try foreign terrorists, who have committed acts of war against the United States, in federal court, as if they were American citizens accused of crimes.”

Source: Dismantling America and Other Controversial Essays (Large Print 16pt)

“Nature is located mainly in national parks, which are vast tracts of wilderness that have been set aside by the United States government so citizens will always have someplace to go where they can be attacked by bears. And we're not talking about ordinary civilian bears, either: We're talking about federal bears, which can behave however they want to because they are protected by the same union as postal clerks.”

Source: Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need

“I believe that Canada cannot, indeed, that Canada must not survive by force. The country will only remain united - it should only remain united - if its citizens want to live together in one civil society.”

Ifs Want Should Believe Country Together Force I Believe United Citizens Canada Civil Society

Book:Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Source: Pierre Elliott Trudeau

“The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.”

Giving States America United Liberty United States Mankind Policy Example Citizens Conscience Worthy Imitation United States Of America Citizenship Immunity Religious Bigotry

Book:George Washington on religious liberty and mutual understanding: selections from Washington's letters

Source: George Washington on religious liberty and mutual understanding: selections from Washington's letters

“Believing that war is contrary to the will of God and to common sense, and feeling that the way of peace is the way of love, I shall work for peace by using the way of love myself, by helping any group I am part of to use it, by helping the nation of which I am a citizen to use it, by helping the United Nations to use it, and by praying that the way of love be used all over the world.”

Source: Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words

“I desire to call attention to the fact that the united, well ordered American home is one of the greatest contributing factors to the preservation of the Constitution of the United States. It has been aptly said that "Out of the homes of America will come the future citizens of America, and only as those homes are what they should be will this nation be what it should be."”

“When have handouts ever worked? In the United States, we learned that welfare for our own citizens not only turned into a debilitating crutch, it created a more or less permanent underclass.”

States United United States Citizens Permanent Welfare Crutches Handouts

Author:Linda Chavez

“Mr. president, I've been a citizen of the United States of America for thirty three years and was never invited to the White House. It sure gives me pleasure to be invited to the Black House.”

Giving Years States America Three House Black President White Pleasure United United States Citizens Give Me Thirty White House Three Years United States Of America Invited

Author:Muhammad Ali

“One of the most meaningful things that's happened to me since I've been the governor - the president - governor - president. Oops. Ex-governor. I went to Bethesda Naval Hospital to give a fellow a Purple Heart, and at the same moment I watched him-get a Purple Heart for action in Iraq - and at that same - right after I gave him the Purple Heart, he was sworn in as a citizen of the United States - a Mexican citizen, now a United States citizen.”

“Muslims are absolutely integrating into the United States. You can go nearly any community and you find people opening up clinics that mostly non-Muslims go in to get services. They are feeding people who are hungry, American citizens, mostly people who are not Muslim. They`re running for office.”

People States Running Community United United States Citizens Office Hungry Opening Feeding Integrating American Citizens Opening Up Clinic Running For Office

Author:Steve King

“I believe we're all aware that there are people and organizations throughout the world who are bent on destroying America, everything we stand for and inflicting harm on American citizens. It is the obligation of the president of the United States to respond to those. I believe, I must add, that this adminstration for the last seven months has neglected compelling national security threats besides this ... I hope that the president will not confine his activities to just this.”

“Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and the perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the "intelligence" that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?”

Knows Littles Said States Age Night Sleep United Millions Darkness United States Streets Citizens Demand Victim Embrace Agents Inevitable Torture March Outrage Resignation Perpetrators

Author:Ariel Dorfman

“United States could be a great country. It needs to be a great country. It's our responsibility as citizens to make that happen, every single one of us.”

Needs Country States Happens United Responsibility United States Citizens Great Country

Author:Paul Haggis

“Forty four percent of Republican voters believe President [Barack] Obama was not born in the United States. They believe he is not a legal citizen of the United States.They believe his presidency is unconstitutional.”

Believe States President Born United United States Four Citizens Republican Percent Barack Forty Voters Presidency President Barack Obama Unconstitutional

Author:Lawrence O'Donnell

“It's a little bit about being a global citizen, with all the United Nations positive umph that there is with that phrase - it's about being a positive do-gooder. But it's also: how can I participate in globalization in a really clear way? Like: don't leave the house unless you can bring something worthy into the world. And so Nicaragua changed the way that I want to do things.”

World Way Want Littles House Nations Bits United Clear Changed Citizens Little Bit Worthy Phrases United Nations Globalization Global Citizen Nicaragua

Author:Anne Elizabeth Moore

“Our Navy was very largely sunk. And we were at war in no time at all. I share, in retrospect, the distress we all share at the internment of the Japanese American citizens of the United States. It was not our finest hour. But the Supreme Court had it before it at the time, and justified it and upheld it.”

War States Hours United United States Share Citizens Court Supreme Distress Finest Supreme Court Justified Navy American Citizens Retrospect Finest Hour Internment

Author:William A. Rusher

“Women are in many ways second-class citizens in the United States in 2016, because of the way that we're portrayed in popular culture.”

Way States Culture United Class United States Citizens Popular Culture Second Class Citizens

Author:Geena Davis

“have a lot of respect for the responsibility that journalists have to ask tough questions, to hold the administration accountable and to be advocates for the citizens of the United States.”

States Asks United Responsibility United States Citizens Tough Administration Journalist Tough Questions

Author:Josh Earnest

“I'm not looking to be anyone's vice president. I looking to be the president of the United States. Or, I'll be a private citizen, there's nothing wrong with being a private citizen.”

States President United United States Citizens Vices Vice President

Author:Marco Rubio

“Without question, so many people, throughout my life, never think of Puerto Rico as part of the United States. Many people have no idea what the relationship is between Puerto Rico and the United States. And certainly, I have been asked if we are citizens.”

People Ifs Thinking Has Beens Ideas States United United States Citizens No Idea Puerto Rico Rico

Author:Sonia Sotomayor

“That's a question best put to Bernie Sanders himself, but I think that he will probably put forward ideas that are related to the corrupting role of Citizens United and Buckley versus Valeo court decisions and the need to restore a by-and-for-the-people republic envisioned in our Constitution instead of the of-, by- and for-the-most-powerful system that we have right now.”

People Thinking Needs Ideas Decision United Powerful Roles Citizens Right Now Constitution Court Related Most Powerful Republic Versus Court Decision Citizens United

Author:Jeff Merkley

“It was not the United States who invaded Kuwait; it was Iraq. It was not the United States that went to war with Iran; it was Iraq. It was not the United States that fired chemical weapons at Iran; it was Iraq. And it was not the United States that murdered innocent Iraqi citizens with chemical weapons; it was Iraq.”

War States United United States Citizens Weapons Iraq Innocent Iran Chemicals Chemical Weapons Kuwait

Author:Colin Powell

“She [Justice sandra Day O'Connor] rejected the [George] Bush administration's claim that it could indefinitely detain a United States citizen. She upheld the fundamental principle of judicial review over the exercise of government power.”

States Government Justice United Principles United States Citizens Exercise Claims Fundamentals Administration Reviews Rejected Judicial Fundamental Principles Sandra Day O Connor Judicial Review

Author:Patrick Leahy

“Politically, as a result of Citizens United, billionaires are now able to spend as much money as they want on campaigns, which means that you have a political system which is heavily dominated by corporations and wealthy individuals.”

Want Mean Able Political Individual United Results Citizens Campaigns Corporations Wealthy Billionaire Political Systems Citizens United

Author:Bernie Sanders

“Under unitary executive theory, the [George W.]Bush administration has claimed the right to seize American citizens in the United States and imprison them indefinitely without a charge.”

States United United States Theory Citizens Administration Executives American Citizens

Author:Dick Durbin

“Resurrecting American democracy is vital to averting climate catastrophe. We must first repeal the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which has flooded elections with billions of oily petrodollars from carbon tycoons.”

Firsts United Democracy Citizens Election Court Climate Billions Supreme Carbon Catastrophe Supreme Court Ruling American Democracy Citizens United Tycoons

Author:Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“It's why we oppose Citizens United from that right-wing Supreme Court. In 2012, I also said the Tea Party "acted like terrorists" and called a donut shop manager in Milwaukee who wanted lower taxes a "smartass." And I said the number one issue is a three-letter word, J-O-B-S." I'm proud of who I am.”

“I think that the influence of people with power and money to distort democracy and have their interests served before the rest of the population is the biggest problem. That is caused by two things: campaign finance and the way that's structured, and by the Citizen's United supreme court decision. So those two things are keeping democracy from working right.”

People Thinking Way Two Problem Interest Decision United Democracy Influence Citizens Court Population Campaigns Supreme Finance Two Things Supreme Court Campaign Finance Court Decision

Author:Shepard Fairey

“Now it is firstly a matter of a clean divorce, because citizens and companies need legal certainty. Can there be a new partnership with the United Kingdom one day? All 27 Member States would have to agree to that. And the United Kingdom would first have to reflect on what it wants itself.”

Want Needs Firsts Matter States United Company Citizens One Day Members Agree Clean Divorce Kingdoms Certainty Partnership United Kingdom

Author:Jean-Claude Juncker

“I believe that a country, Russia in this case, which can defend the honour and dignity of its citizens, protect their lives, and fulfill its international legal commitments under the peacekeeping mandate, will not find itself in isolation, no matter what our partners in Europe or the United States may think, expressing their bloc mentality.”

“In the United States, if you buy a property and you're a good citizen, and you improve that property, what do they do to you? They tax you more. So they penalize you for good behavior.”

Ifs States United United States Citizens Taxes Behavior Property Good Citizen Good Behavior

Author:Jesse Ventura

“As a result of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, American democracy is being undermined by the ability of the Koch brothers and other billionaire families. These wealthy contributors can literally buy politicians and elections by spending hundreds of millions of dollars in support of the candidates of their choice. We need to overturn Citizens United and move toward public funding of elections so that all candidates can run for office without being beholden to the wealthy and powerful.”

“If elected president I will have a litmus test in terms of my nominee to be a Supreme Court justice. And the nominee will say, we are going to overturn this disastrous decision on Citizens United because that decision is undermining American democracy. I do not believe that billionaires should be allowed to buy politicians.”

“In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say they will raise nearly $1 billion for the 2016 elections. When one family can raise as much as an entire party, the system is broken. This is oligarchy, not democracy. We must overturn Citizens United.”

Lasts America United Party Democracy Brother Broken Citizens Raises Election Raised Billions Presidential Romney Oligarchy Presidential Election Citizens United

Author:Bernie Sanders

“The billionaires and their super PACs increasingly control the American political process. This is not democracy. This is not what brave Americans fought and died to defend. This is oligarchy. This is government of the few, by the few and for the few. We must overturn Citizen United and move to public funding of elections.”

Government Moving Political Process United Democracy Citizens Died Election Brave Funding Billionaire Oligarchy Pacs Citizens United

Author:Bernie Sanders

“There are many major crises facing our country. At the top of the list is the need to overturn Citizens United. If billionaires are able to buy elections and elect right-wing candidates, there is no way we will ever address climate change, college education, affordability, job creation, raising the minimum wage and taking on Wall Street.”

“There are three major political organizations in this country: the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and the Koch Brothers Party. With billions to spend on campaigns. think tanks and 'educational' organizations, the Koch brothers are the most powerful. We must overturn Citizens United, move to public funding of elections and pass real tax reform.”

“What the Supreme Court did in Citizens United is to say to these same billionaires and the corporations they control: 'You own and control the economy, you own Wall Street, you own the coal companies, you own the oil companies. Now, for a very small percentage of your wealth, we're going to give you the opportunity to own the United States Government.' This is the essence of what Citizens United is all about - and that's why it must be overturned.”

“The United States has an absolute duty to attack terrorism where it lives and breeds, in order to prevent future attacks on American citizens around the world. The American people stand united in the face of terrorism. The men and women who undertook this mission deserve our praise and prayers.”

People Men World States Faces Order Prayer United United States He Man Duty Citizens Men And Women Deserve Absolutes Praise Missions Terrorism Around The World American Citizens

Author:Dick Armey

“I'm very proud that a woman, has finally been chosen as a candidate for the president of the United States, because I always felt women should be treated like first-class citizens.”

Should Firsts States Felt President United Class United States Proud Citizens Chosen Treated Candidates First Class

Author:Stevie Nicks