American Citizens Quotes

• My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

  John F. Kennedy

  Inspirational, Inspiring, Country

  Inaugural Address, 20 Jan. 1961

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  I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong.

  George Washington

  Land, America, Atheism

  George Washington, Stephen Lucas (1999). “The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot”, p.5, Rowman & Littlefield

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  The Constitution be never construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press, or the rights of conscience; or to prevent the people of the United States, who are peaceable citizens, from keeping their own arms.

  Samuel Adams

  Gun, Strong Arms, People

  Debates of the Massachusetts Convention, 1788.

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• The right of every American to first-class citizenship is the most important issue of our time.

  Jackie Robinson

  Class, Issues, Democracy

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• There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. The one absolutely certain way of bringing this nation to ruin, of preventing all possibility of its continuing to be a nation at all, would be to permit it to become a tangle of squabbling nationalities.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Country, Political, Immigration

  Speech in New York, 12 October 1915, in 'Works', Memorial edition (1925) vol. 20, p. 457

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• There's not a liberal America and a conservative America - there's the United States of America.

  Barack Obama

  Patriotic, America, Political

  Barack Obama (2008). “Yes, We Can”, p.47, BoD – Books on Demand

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• There is not a liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America. There is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America - there's the United States of America.

  Barack Obama

  Powerful, Patriotic, White

  2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address, delivered 27 July 2004, Fleet Center, Boston

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• A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.

  Thomas Jefferson

  Integrity, Responsibility, Hypocrisy

  Thomas Jefferson (2004). “Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness”, p.66, Modern Library

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• Bad men cannot make good citizens.

  Patrick Henry

  Men, Tyrants, Citizens

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• We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.

  Elizabeth Cady Stanton

  Inspiring, Women, 4th Of July

  Declaration of Sentiments, First Woman's Rights

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• There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Country, Presidential, Rooms

  Speech, New York, N.Y., 12 Oct. 1915

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• My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just

  Thomas Jefferson

  God, Patriotic, Heart

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• Our country is the world, our countrymen are all mankind. We love the land of our nativity, only as we love all other lands. The interests, rights, and liberties of American citizens are no more dear to us than are those of the whole human race. Hence we can allow no appeal to patriotism, to revenge any national insult or injury.

  William Lloyd Garrison

  Country, Revenge, Rights

  William Lloyd Garrison (1852). “Selections from the writings and speeches of William Lloyd Garrison: With an appendix ...”, p.72

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• Let me say with a Georgia accent that we cannot solve this problem if it requires a diplomatic passport to claim the rights of an American citizen.

  Dean Rusk

  Rights, Citizens, Georgia

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• We thought I was going to be a great athlete, and we were wrong, and I thought I was going to be a great entertainer, and that wasn't it either. I'm going to be an American Citizen. First class.

  Dick Gregory

  Athlete, Class, Firsts

  "Dick Gregory, pioneering US comedian and activist, dies aged 84" by The Associated Press, www.theguardian.com. August 19, 2017.

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• He doesn't like my name... Of course we couldn't all come over on the Mayflower... But I got here as soon as I could, and I never wanted to go back, because to me it is a great privilege to be an American citizen.

  Anton Cermak

  Names, Immigration, Citizens

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• With all my devotion to the Union, and the feeling of loyalty and duty of an American citizen, I have not been able to make up my mind to raise my hand against my relative, my children, my home. I have, therefore, resigned my commission in the Army.

  Robert E. Lee

  Loyalty, Children, War

  Robert E. Lee, Ben Wynne (2004). “Recollections and Letters”, p.21, Barnes & Noble Publishing

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• When American citizens pull together, there is little we can't accomplish.

  Cory Booker

  Together, Citizens, Littles

  "A Time For Change: A New Narrative for America and her Cities" by Cory Booker, www.huffingtonpost.com. November 4, 2008.

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• We need to be protecting American citizens who are here, out of work, and hurting today-minorities, Blacks and Whites and all colors and races that are hurting today with high unemployment, but we seem to be more focused on how we can ram through this Senate a bill that would legalize millions and create an even more robust guest worker program. There are not enough jobs now. Give me a break.

  Jeff Sessions

  Hurt, Jobs, Race

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• The right to criticize: the right to hold unpopular beliefs; the right to protest; the right of independent thought. The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right to a livelihood... Otherwise none of us could call our souls our own.

  Margaret Chase Smith

  Religious, Independent, Exercise

  Declaration of Conscience, delivered 1 June 1950

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• If Obama fails to win reelection, let the blame be first laid at the door of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who at a pivotal point threw gasoline on the flames by comparing angry American citizens to Nazis.

  Camille Paglia

  Winning, Doors, Flames

  "Too Late For Obama to Turn It Around?". www.realclearpolitics.com. September 9, 2009.

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• The pursuit of happiness, which American citizens are obliged to undertake, tends to involve them in trying to perpetuate the moods, tastes and aptitudes of youth.

  Malcolm Muggeridge

  Happiness, Joy, Trying

  Malcolm Muggeridge (1966). “The Most of Malcolm Muggeridge”

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• To become an American citizen, we require people to read, write and speak in English. That is to help them to assimilate in our melting pot, truly to become Americans. We mock that when the cherished right to vote does not involve English any more.

  Ernest Istook

  Writing, People, Doe

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• I deplore the need or the use of troops anywhere to get American citizens to obey the orders of constituted courts.

  Dwight D. Eisenhower

  Military, Order, Usa

  Eisenhower, Dwight D. (1959). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958”, p.397, Best Books on

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• American citizens are instrumental in carrying on a traffic in enslaved Africans, equally in violation of the laws of humanity and in defiance of those of their own country. The same just and benevolent motives which produced interdiction in force against this criminal conduct will doubtless be felt by Congress in devising further means of suppressing the evil.

  James Madison

  Country, Mean, Law

  James Madison, Robert Allen Rutland (1996). “The Papers of James Madison: Presidential Series”

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