Latest Tom Gjelten Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• One of Donald Trump's criticisms of President Barack Obama and of Hillary Clinton was that they seemed reluctant to use the words radical Islam. It was not just semantics. Trump said it's important to name the enemy idea and then attack it. Consider the Cold War. The U.S. and its allies waged a kind of propaganda war against the communist idea using radio broadcasts and other tools. Trump has said he'd do the same against Islamic extremism.

  Tom Gjelten

  War, Islamic, Enemy

  Source: www.npr.org

• Trump has always talked about how important in dealing with foreign leaders, how important it is to establish a good personal relationship very close to what Pope Francis says, so they may both really want to emphasize their development of a personal relationship.

  Tom Gjelten

  Leader, Important, Good Person

  Source: www.npr.org

• In some states, it is illegal to turn down a same-sex couple when you're placing children for adoption. That's discrimination. But in the Catholic church, the sacrament of marriage is defined officially as the union of a man and a woman. So a Catholic adoption agency is torn between its faith doctrine and what it sees as a faith obligation to help orphans.

  Tom Gjelten

  Sex, Children, Couple

  "In Religious Freedom Debate, 2 American Values Clash". wbgo.org. February 28, 2017.

• You shouldn't face discrimination because of your sexual orientation. That should be illegal.

  Tom Gjelten

  Faces, Discrimination, Should

  "In Religious Freedom Debate, 2 American Values Clash". www.wbgo.org. February 28, 2017.

• The First Amendment to the Constitution says government can't establish a religion, but neither can it limit the exercise of religion. And that's the issue here. What does it mean to be free to exercise your religion? It's not about what you can believe. It's whether you can act on those beliefs.

  Tom Gjelten

  Believe, Mean, Exercise

  "In Religious Freedom Debate, 2 American Values Clash" by Tom Gjelten, publicradioeast.org. February 28, 2017.

• There's a culture war in this country. Americans in recent years, as you know, have become more secular. They don't go to church as often. Bible reading, prayers in public are now frowned upon. And, of course, in addition to that, a lot of people have become much more supportive of LGBT rights. And in reaction to that, biblically conservative Americans feel that their faith is under assault.

  Tom Gjelten

  Country, Prayer, War

  "In Religious Freedom Debate, 2 American Values Clash" by Tom Gjelten, wmot.org. February 28, 2017.

• Being out of the mainstream is entirely consistent with the way Donald Trump is approaching his presidency.

  Tom Gjelten

  Way, Mainstream, Trump

  "With His Choice Of Inauguration Prayer Leaders, Trump Shows His Values". "Morning Edition" with Richel Martin, www.npr.org. January 13, 2017.

• Donald Trump seems to prefer people he sees as being on his side.

  Tom Gjelten

  People, Sides, Trump

  "With His Choice Of Inauguration Prayer Leaders, Trump Shows His Values". "Morning Edition" with Richel Martin, www.npr.org. January 13, 2017.

• If you're wealthy like Donald Trump is, and you have a preacher who says your wealth is a sign God approves of you, you're probably going to like that preacher. And if there is one major element in Donald Trump's religious beliefs, it would be this prosperity gospel.

  Tom Gjelten

  Religious, Would Be, Elements

  "With His Choice Of Inauguration Prayer Leaders, Trump Shows His Values". kucb.org. January 13, 2017.

• Hispanics are the fastest-growing evangelical group in the country right now, an important constituency. But Trump's views, especially his views on immigration, did not exactly go over well with this faith constituency. Rev. Rodriguez told me that Trump's invitation created something of a stir in his world.

  Tom Gjelten

  Country, Views, Important

  "With His Choice Of Inauguration Prayer Leaders, Trump Shows His Values". "Morning Edition" with Richel Martin, www.npr.org. January 13, 2017.

• Fidel Castro outlasted U.S. presidents determined to overthrow him, survived the collapse of the communist bloc that sustained him and outlived many of those who wanted to replace him. For those reasons, he will go down in history as among the world's most skillful politicians, even if his achievements largely die with him.

  Tom Gjelten

  Achievement, President, World

  Source: www.npr.org

• As his country crumbled around him, Fidel Castro's stature diminished abroad and at home.

  Tom Gjelten

  Country, Home, Castro

  Source: www.npr.org

• The collapse of the Soviet bloc ended the massive subsidies that had kept the Cuban economy afloat. The once-vaunted education and health care systems fell into disrepair. Fidel Castro's stubbornness, meanwhile, made political and economic change difficult in Cuba.

  Tom Gjelten

  Political, Subsidies, Care

  Source: www.npr.org

• Fidel Castro was not interested in personal enrichment. His supporters say he deployed his enormous authority on behalf of health, education and welfare programs that brought Cuba attention around the world.

  Tom Gjelten

  Welfare Programs, Health Education, Around The World

  Source: www.npr.org

• Fidel Castro was a born rebel.

  Tom Gjelten

  Rebel, Born, Castro

  Source: www.npr.org

• As Cuba's leader, Castro answered to no one and allowed no challenge to his authority.

  Tom Gjelten

  Leader, Challenges, Cuba

  "Former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies At Age 90" by Tom Gjelten, kaxe.org. November 26, 2016.

• Historians debate to this day whether Fidel Castro was a communist from the time he took power or only became one after he was spurned by the United States. What is not disputed is that he was always an autocrat moving ruthlessly against anyone who dared oppose him.

  Tom Gjelten

  Moving, United States, Debate

  "Former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies At Age 90" by Tom Gjelten, kenw.org. November 25, 2016.

• Many who later lost faith in Fidel Castro can remember how they once admired the man who needed just a dozen men to launch the Cuban revolution.

  Tom Gjelten

  Men, Revolution, Dozen

  Source: www.npr.org

• Fidel Castro was loved and hated passionately.

  Tom Gjelten

  Castro, Hated

  Source: www.npr.org

• Fidel Castro is one of the most inspiring leaders of the 20th century.

  Tom Gjelten

  Leader, Most Inspiring, Century

  "Former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro Dies At Age 90". Interview with Scott Simon, kaxe.org. November 26, 2016.

• State Department lawyers need to have the evidence to back up the charge before they make it. Here's Nebraska Republican Jeff Fortenberry questioning Assistant Secretary of State Anne Patterson at a House hearing.

  Tom Gjelten

  House, Needs, Nebraska

  "As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide". "Morning Edition" with David Greene, www.npr.org. December 24, 2015.

• And the pressure to clarify what exactly is happening to Christians and other minorities in the Middle East is certain to intensify in the New Year.

  Tom Gjelten

  Christian, New Year, Exactly Is

  "As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide". "Morning Edition" with David Green, www.npr.org. December 24, 2015.

• The letter writers span the spectrum from left to right. Members say they don't want this to become a partisan political issue. In fact, there are reasons administration officials have been cautious in making a genocide declaration.

  Tom Gjelten

  Issues, Political, Facts

  "As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide". "Morning Edition" with David Greene, www.npr.org. December 24, 2015.

• They don't want to feed an ISIS narrative that there is a religious war between Islam and the Christian West, plus genocide is carefully defined under international law.

  Tom Gjelten

  Christian, Religious, War

  "As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide". "Morning Edition" with David Greene, www.npr.org. December 24, 2015.

• Administration officials, in fact, have repeatedly condemned ISIS for its treatment of religious minorities, including Christians. But a bipartisan resolution now moving through Congress calls on the administration to go further and say ISIS is guilty of genocide.

  Tom Gjelten

  Christian, Religious, Moving

  "As Christians Flee, Governments Pressured To Declare ISIS Guilty Of Genocide". "Morning Edition" with David Greene, www.npr.org. December 24, 2015.