Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.
Sandra Day O'ConnorRead
The obscenities of this country are not girls like you. It is the poverty which is obscene, and the criminal irresponsibility of the leaders who make this poverty a deadening reality. The obscenities in this country are the places of the rich, the new hotels made at the expense of the people, the hospitals where the poor die when they get sick because they don't have the money either for medicines or services. It is only in this light that the real definition of obscenity should be made.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the moral failures of society, highlighting poverty and the irresponsibility of leaders as true obscenities.
In this powerful quote, F. Sionil Jose articulates a strong denunciation of societal flaws, arguing that the real obscenity lies not in the actions or appearances of individuals, but in the systemic poverty and the moral failure of those in power who perpetuate it. He emphasizes that such injustices are the true shame of a nation, and that the luxurious lifestyles of the affluent stand in stark contrast to the suffering of the poor, thus redefining what is truly obscene in society.
Themes
PovertyObscenitySocial JusticeLeadershipResponsibilitySociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing social inequality, one might quote this to illustrate the true sources of societal shame.
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