You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him, bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, "you are free to compete with all the others," and still justly believe that you have been completely fair. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result.
When I was young, poverty was so common that we didn't know it had a name.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the normalization of poverty in society and how those experiencing it may not even recognize it as a distinct issue.
Lyndon B. Johnson's quote highlights the pervasive nature of poverty during his youth, illustrating how it was such a common experience that it lacked distinction or recognition. This suggests that societal conditions can shape perceptions of hardship, making individuals unaware of their own struggles because they are shared widely among their peers. It encourages reflection on the social context of poverty and the importance of naming and addressing such issues.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about social issues, one might say, 'As Lyndon B. Johnson reflected, poverty was so common in his youth that it didn't even have a name.'
More from Lyndon B. Johnson
All quotes βPeace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time.
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You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.
If government is to serve any purpose it is to do for others what they are unable to do for themselves.
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