If freedom makes social progress possible, so social progress strengthens and enlarges freedom. The two are inseparable partners in the great adventure of humanity.
Robert KennedyRead
Every society gets the kind of criminal it deserves. What is equally true is that every community gets the kind of law enforcement it insists on.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Society's values shape both its criminals and law enforcement.
This quote by Robert Kennedy suggests that the nature of crime and the effectiveness of law enforcement are reflective of the society that produces them. It implies that both the criminals who emerge and the laws that are enforced are a product of the collective attitudes and beliefs of the community, highlighting a mutual responsibility between citizens and their societal structures.
Themes
SocietyLaw EnforcementCriminalsCommunityResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting discussing crime rates, this quote can be used to emphasize the need for active citizen engagement.
More from Robert Kennedy
All quotes βElections remind us not only of the rights but the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy.
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Within the United States, we have put great emphasis upon political freedoms. Because it has been our experience that these freedoms can lead to others.
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It is one thing to open job opportunities. It is another to train people to fill them, or to persuade American enterprise to seek Negro as well as white applicants.
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Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as the talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.
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The Gross National Product measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile, and it can tell us everything about America - except whether we are proud to be Americans.
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