Quotes from John Ashcroft

The path we have chosen is constitutional.

It doesn't help to wait until something happens and then prosecute the offenders, especially if it's the idea of the offender to extinguish himself in the commission of the crime.

Christianity is a faith in which God sent his Son to die for you.

Our priorities should be: recognizing the voice of God and responding to the voice of God.

Only God, no other kings!

[The war on terrorism isn't a religious war, but] a defense of our right to make moral choices, to seek fellowship with God that is chosen and not commanded.

We are a nation called to defend freedom - a tradition that is not a grant of any government or document, but is an endowment from God.

The worst mistake a boss can make is not to say 'Well done'.

We need to strengthen our analytic capacity in Washington, we need to centralize the anti-terrorism effort.

By tearing down the wall between law enforcement and the intelligence community, we have been able to share information in a way that was virtually impossible before the Patriot Act.

Reasonable regulations regarding the ownership of weapons are appropriate.

I don't play full court anymore. I just play half-court.

People who commit crimes should be responsible for those crimes. It doesn't matter whether they're priests or ministers or atheists.

Prior to September 11, we thought the world beyond our shores was one world of risk and the world in our continent was another world of risk.

The FBI has long been a part of the security for the nation's banks because bank robberies have been a priority.

It's a different world.

The FBI. is a massive culture. It's been a culture that served America well, and it's been focused on prosecution. But what we need in terms of terrorism is prevention.

There is no priority higher than the prevention of terrorism.

We have to think outside the box, inside the Constitution, find ways to do things that will elevate our security, reduce the risk of the incidence of terrorist attack.

The Patriot Act allows and provides a basis for an exchange of information.

The Internet provides very serious challenges to our ability to keep from children the kinds of things that are destructive to them.

Agents need to be free to pursue investigations in ways that they haven't. There have been restraints that a reformed FBI needs to make sure we don't impose.

We've got to understand that the whole nature of the way American democracy guards its freedom has been changed.

The liberties and freedoms which we hold dear and we recognize and cherish and respect guide the way we gather information in the United States.