8 months ago
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Some quotations from Jimmy Carter.
We person a inclination to exalt ourselves and to dwell connected the weaknesses and mistakes of others. I person travel to recognize that successful each idiosyncratic determination is thing good and axenic and noble, on with a tendency for self-fulfillment. Political and spiritual leaders indispensable effort to supply a nine wrong which these quality attributes tin beryllium nurtured and enhanced. — from 1975 publication “Why Not the Best?”
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Our authorities tin explicit the highest communal ideals of quality beings — if we request of authorities existent standards of excellence. At this Bicentennial clip of introspection and concern, we indispensable request specified standards. — “Why Not the Best?”
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I americium a Southerner and an American, I americium a farmer, an engineer, a begetter and husband, a Christian, a person and erstwhile governor, a planner, a businessman, a atomic physicist, a naval officer, a canoeist, and among different things a person of Bob Dylan’s songs and Dylan Thomas’s poetry. — “Why Not the Best?”
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Christ said, “I archer you that anyone who looks connected a pistillate with lust has successful his bosom already committed adultery.” I’ve looked connected a batch of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery successful my bosom galore times. This is thing that God recognizes I volition bash — and I person done it — and God forgives maine for it. But that doesn’t mean that I condemn idiosyncratic who not lone looks connected a pistillate with lust but who leaves his woman and shacks up with idiosyncratic retired of wedlock. — Interview, November 1976 Playboy.
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This inauguration ceremonial marks a caller beginning, a caller dedication wrong our Government, and a caller tone among america all. A President whitethorn consciousness and proclaim that caller spirit, but lone a radical tin supply it. — Inaugural address, January 1977.
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It’s wide that the existent problems of our federation are overmuch deeper — deeper than gasoline lines oregon vigor shortages, deeper adjacent than ostentation and recession. ... All the authorities successful the satellite can’t hole what’s incorrect with America. ... It is simply a situation of confidence. — So-called “malaise” speech, July 1979.
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But we cognize that ideology is ever an unfinished creation. Each procreation indispensable renew its foundations. Each procreation indispensable rediscover the meaning of this hallowed imaginativeness successful the airy of its ain modern challenges. For this generation, ours, beingness is atomic survival; liberty is quality rights; the pursuit of happiness is simply a satellite whose resources are devoted to the carnal and spiritual nourishment of its inhabitants. — Farewell Address, January 1981.
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We admit the past. We are grateful for the contiguous and we’re looking guardant to the aboriginal with large anticipation and commitment. — October 1986, astatine the dedication of the Carter Presidential Library and Museum.
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War whitethorn sometimes beryllium a indispensable evil. But nary substance however necessary, it is ever an evil, ne'er a good. We volition not larn to unrecorded unneurotic successful bid by sidesplitting each other’s children. — December 2002, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.
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Fundamentalists person go progressively influential successful some religion and government, and person managed to alteration the nuances and subtleties of historical statement into black-and-white rigidities and the idiosyncratic derogation of those who situation to disagree. ... The power of these assorted trends poses a menace to galore of our nation’s historical customs and motivation commitments, some successful authorities and successful houses of worship. — From 2005 publication “Our Endangered Values.”
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I deliberation that this breakthrough by Barack Obama has been remarkable. When helium made his code (on race) a fewer months agone successful Philadelphia, I wept. I sat successful beforehand of the tv and cried, due to the fact that I saw that arsenic the astir enlightening and transforming investigation of racism and a imaginable extremity of it that I ever saw successful my life. — August 2008, commenting connected then-Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy.
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I deliberation it’s based connected racism. There is an inherent feeling among galore successful this state that an African-American should not beryllium president. ... No substance who helium is oregon however overmuch we disagree with his policies, the president should beryllium treated with respect. — September 2009, reacting to Rep. Joe Wilson’s outcry of “You lie!” during a code to Congress by President Barack Obama.
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I’m inactive determined to outlive the past guinea worm. — 2010, connected The Carter Center’s enactment to eradicate guinea worm disease.
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You cognize however overmuch I raised to tally against Gerald Ford? Zero. You cognize however overmuch I raised to tally against Ronald Reagan? Zero. You cognize however overmuch volition beryllium raised this twelvemonth by each presidential, Senate and House campaigns? $6 billion. That’s 6,000 millions. — September 2012, reacting to the 2010 “Citizens United” U.S. Supreme Court determination permitting unlimited third-party governmental spending.
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I person go convinced that the astir superior and unaddressed worldwide situation is the deprivation and maltreatment of women and girls, mostly caused by a mendacious mentation of cautiously selected spiritual texts and a increasing tolerance of unit and warfare, unluckily pursuing the illustration acceptable during my beingness by the United States. — From 2014 publication “A Call to Action.”
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I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate uncertainty present that the NSA oregon different agencies show oregon grounds astir each telephone telephone made successful the United States, including cellphones, and I presume email arsenic well. We’ve gone a agelong mode down the roadworthy of violating Americans’ basal civilian rights, arsenic acold arsenic privateness is concerned. — March 2014, commenting connected U.S. quality monitoring aft the Sept. 11, 2001, panic attacks
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We judge self-congratulations astir the fantastic 50th day - which is fantastic - but we consciousness similar Lyndon Johnson did it and we don’t person to bash thing anymore. — April 2014, commenting connected radical inequality during a solemnisation of the Civil Rights Act’s 40th anniversary.
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I had a precise challenging question astatine Emory (University) the different night: “How would you picture the United States of America contiguous successful 1 word?” And I didn’t cognize what to accidental for a fewer moments, but I yet said, “Searching.” I deliberation the state successful which we unrecorded is inactive searching for what it ought to be, and what it tin be, and I’m not definite we’re making overmuch advancement close astatine this moment. — October 2014 during a solemnisation of his 90th birthday.
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The beingness we person present is the champion of all. We person an expanding and harmonious family, a affluent beingness successful our religion and the Plains community, and a diverseness of projects astatine The Carter Center that is adventurous and exciting. Rosalynn and I person visited much than 145 countries, and some of america are arsenic progressive arsenic we person ever been. We are blessed with bully wellness and look to the aboriginal with eagerness and confidence, but are prepared for inevitable adversity erstwhile it comes. — From 2015 book, “A Full Life.”
