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I worry about how important norms of American life are being shattered, along with a unity of purpose.
growing inequality on income and opportunity,
The true foundations for those buildings are not brick and stone, but our Constitution, our rule of law, our traditions, our work ethic, our empathy, our pragmatism, and our basic decency.
I hope my words will spark contemplation and discussion.
most people are rooting for the United States to succeed, not by virtue of its military or economic might, but because of our ideals.
guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.”
Patriotism—active, constructive patriotism—takes work. It takes knowledge, engagement with those who are different from you, and fairness in law and opportunity.
But he saw most of his white neighbors as decent Christian people who were just horribly misguided on race. They had grown up in a system they never questioned and never really understood.
there are states seeking to limit access to the ballot box, even if they make claims to the contrary.
To suppress the vote is to make a mockery of democracy.
dissent is doubly necessary to resist a slide into greater autocracy.
The role of dissent is to force all of us to question our dogmas and biases. It is to stretch the spectrum of discourse.
I think I have a role to play which may be unpopular.”
To stand up and say something isn’t right takes guts, no matter who you are, but it is especially true for those who have traditionally been more vulnerable members of society.
may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”
In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.
we should be eternally vigilant against attempts to check the expression of opinions that we loathe
long-term accountability is more important than short-term stability.
as a public official in the United States, you agree to subject yourself and your actions to scrutiny.
Our own history has shown that we are stronger as a mosaic than a melting pot.
Empathy builds community.
Transferring responsibilities to government is often necessary, but it creates a distance between us and those who need help.
if this nation ultimately fails, I believe it will be because opinions, propaganda, and superstitions replaced facts as the basis for our governance.
Science is much more than the accumulation of facts; it is about the willingness to reevaluate our assumptions in the face of data to better see, understand, and improve our world.
having differing state policies on education provides diverse laboratories for innovation.
all the advantages of this decentralized system are predicated on state and local governments believing in the importance of funding high-quality education,
my favorite fishing cabin
There's More than one?
one of the shortest and least distinguished careers in U.S. Marine history came to an end.
Our government is there to serve us, not the other way around.
democracy is an action more than a belief.
The chasm over race and citizenship is inescapable in American history,
I have seen how individual voices can swell into waves that have the power to shift the course of history,
no one was asking if the people manning the boats that came to save them had their legal papers.
