The action we take and the decisions we make in this decade will have consequences far into this century. If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch.
Looking across this field, we see the scale of heroism and sacrifice. All who are buried here understood their duty. All stood to protect America. And all carried with them memories of a family that they hope to keep safe by their sacrifice.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the bravery and selflessness of those who sacrificed their lives for their country, emphasizing their sense of duty and love for their families.
George W. Bush's quote reflects on the profound honor and sacrifice of soldiers buried in a memorial site. It emphasizes that these individuals understood the weight of their duty to protect their nation and cherished the memories of their families, who they sought to shield from harm through their courageous acts. This statement serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in service to one’s country and the deep connections between duty and family.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a Memorial Day speech, one might use this quote to honor fallen soldiers.
More from George W. Bush
All quotes →Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger.
Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended.
Use power to help people. For we are given power not to advance our own purposes nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people.
Adoption was such a positive alternative to abortion, a way to save one life and brighten two more: those of the adoptive parents.
We are not deceived by their pretenses to piety. We have seen their kind before. They are the heirs of all the murderous ideologies of the 20th century. By sacrificing human life to serve their radical visions - by abandoning every value except the will to power - they follow in the path of fascism, and Nazism, and totalitarianism. And they will follow that path all the way, to where it ends: in history's unmarked grave of discarded lies.
Similar quotes
After much soul searching I was able to renounce my past Islamist ideology, challenging everything I was once prepared to die for.
Women are constantly being taught how to defend themselves against attack from men. I would like to shift the perception. I want to say that that responsibility should no longer rest on the shoulders of women alone.
Either life entails courage, or it ceases to be life.
We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.
In war there is no second prize for the runner-up.
When I was 41, I found a lump the size of a grape in my right breast. I ended up bald, sick and exhausted from surgeries, chemo and radiation treatments. Ah, but I got to live.