If I still had my legs, I would be in line for a battalion command, and instead, I'm flying a desk.
Tammy DuckworthRead
The wheelchair and the prosthesis give me a soapbox to stand on. If it helps me get my message across, I'm glad; then we need to talk about what we need to do for this country.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of using one's experiences and challenges as a platform for advocacy and change.
Tammy Duckworth highlights how her experiences with disability through the use of a wheelchair and prosthesis serve as a platform from which she can voice her message. She expresses gratitude that her unique perspective can foster discussions about necessary actions for improving her country, thus portraying the power of personal challenges in driving social change and dialogue.
Themes
AdvocacyDisabilityChangeMessageCourage
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for disability rights, I could start with Duckworth's quote to emphasize the need for representation.
More from Tammy Duckworth
All quotes →It was the combination of hard work and a hand up that allowed me to become one of the first women to fly in combat missions and achieve my American Dream.
Tammy DuckworthRead
I went to Iraq in 2004 because I believe in doing my duty, not because I agreed with the war.
Tammy DuckworthRead
The women putting their lives at risk for our country deserve better than to be treated as second-class citizens.
Tammy DuckworthRead
As I recovered at Walter Reed, I worried about the soldiers who pulled me out of my helicopter that Friday afternoon. Would they make it back okay? And what about all the other soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who were also putting their lives on the line every day?
Tammy DuckworthRead
My experience in Iraq made me realize, and during the recovery, that I could have died. And I just had to do more with my life.
Tammy DuckworthRead
Similar quotes
To struggle when hope is banished! To live when life's salt is gone! To dwell in a dream that's vanished- To endure, and go calmly on!
Ben JonsonRead
When the Nobel Committee chose to honor me, the road I had chosen of my own free will became a less lonely path to follow.
Aung San Suu KyiRead
Not only do we suffer from racism and sexism, but we also suffer from ageism. And that is that once you reach a certain age, you're not allowed to be adventurous, you're not allowed to be sexual and I think that's rather hideous. [...] I mean, is there a rule? Are you just supposed to die when you're 40?
Madonna CicconeRead
The Negro cannot win the respect of his oppressor by acquiescing; he merely increases the oppressor's arrogance and contempt.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
It takes courage to grieve, to honor the pain we carry. We can grieve in tears or in meditative silence, in prayer or in song. In touching the pain of recent and long-held griefs, we come face to face with our genuine human vulnerability, with helplessness and hopelessness. These are the storm clouds of the heart.
Jack KornfieldRead
It is necessary to run risks, to follow certain paths and to abandon others. No one can make a choice without feeling fear.
Paulo CoelhoRead