There are times in life when, instead of complaining, you do something about your complaints.
Rita DoveRead
It makes me furious to hear haters of all skin colors - especially Christian, Jewish, and Muslim fundamentalists - deride other people because of their different beliefs and lifestyles.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses anger towards those who condemn others for their beliefs and lifestyles, highlighting the importance of tolerance.
Rita Dove's quote emphasizes the frustration felt towards individuals who, regardless of their own background, criticize and belittle others for their differences in beliefs and lifestyle choices. It underscores the idea that intolerance and bigotry exist across various communities and religious groups, reminding us that understanding and acceptance should prevail over hate and division.
Themes
ToleranceDiversityBeliefsAcceptanceFundamentalismHatred
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on unity, one could use this quote to highlight the need for acceptance among various cultures.
More from Rita Dove
All quotes →Without imagination we can go nowhere. And imagination is not restricted to the arts. Every scientist I have met who has been a success has had to imagine.
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As an African-American, as a woman, I think that I've been sensitized to the way in which history privileges the white male and the way in which certain aspects of history, the things that we are taught in school, the things that are handed down, never, never entered the picture though they might have been very important.
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If our children are unable to voice what they mean, no one will know how they feel. If they can’t imagine a different world, they are stumbling through a darkness made all the more sinister by its lack of reference points. For a young person growing up in America’s alienated neighborhoods, there can be no greater empowerment than to dare to speak from the heart — and then to discover that one is not alone in ones feelings.
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All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself.
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Being Poet Laureate made me realize I was capable of a larger voice. There is a more public utterance I can make as a poet.
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