The founding of our Nation was more than a political event; it was an act of faith, a promise to Americans and to the entire world. The Declaration of Independence declared that people can govern themselves, that they can live in freedom with equal rights, that they can respect the rights of others.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the significance of the founding of the United States as a commitment to freedom and self-governance.
Jimmy Carter's quote highlights that the founding of the United States was not merely a political event but a manifestation of faith in humanity and the belief in self-governance. The Declaration of Independence symbolizes a universal promise of freedom, equal rights, and respect among individuals, reflecting values that extend beyond national borders and resonate globally.
In practice
In a speech about democracy, we can emphasize how the values of our nation stem from an act of faith in humanity.
Acknowledging the physical realities of our planet does not mean a dismal future of endless sacrifice. In fact, acknowledging these realities is the first step in dealing with them. We can meet the resource problems of the world - water, food, minerals, farmlands, forests, overpopulation, pollution - if we tackle them with courage and foresight.
The preeminent obstacle to peace is Israel's colonization of Palestine.
I would say the biggest handicap we have right now is some nutcases in our country that don't believe in global warming. I think they are going to change their position because of pressure from individuals, because the evidence of the ravages of global warming is already there.
If I were president, I'd be very glad to see the Palestinians have a nation recognized by the United Nations. There's no downside to it.
My understanding of racial discrimination as a child was highly distorted because the most prominent man in Archery was an African-American bishop. When he came home from up north, where he was in charge of A.M.E. churches in five states, it was front-page news. He was the most successful man in my life.
Our American values are not luxuries but necessities, not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself. Our common vision of a free and just society is our greatest source of cohesion at home and strength abroad, greater than the bounty of our material blessings.
Humankind is never what he is but the self he seeks.
The true, unacknowledged purpose of capital punishment is to inspire fear and awe -- fear and awe of the State.
Look at your hand. Its structure does not match the structure of assertions, the structure of facts. Your hand is continuous. Assertions and facts are discontinuous.... You lift your index finger half an inch; it passes through a million facts. Look at the way your hand goes on and on, while the clock ticks, and the sun moves a little further across the sky.
The Indian mythology has a theory of cycles, that all progression is in the form of waves.
Time is the River on which the leaves of our thoughts are carried into oblivion.
You don't need a Harvard MBA to know that the bedroom and the boardroom are just two sides of the same ballgame.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.