Quotes About Citizenship

Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters.

Ninety-five percent of my work is being mayor. But that 5% that nags at all of us - of what's going wrong in this country - I think is best thought out not in your own head but by getting out there, being out there, and listening to Americans.

We need a proper balance between rights and responsibilities in our laws.

I always maintain that rights always come with responsibilities.

Most Americans are very responsible.

The Latin root of the word 'politics' means 'of the people.' Politics is about something bigger than electoral politics; in that sense, I feel like I'm already involved.

I don't want to talk politics, but what I do say is I believe in rules and laws, and if you come to this country, you've got to abide by the rules here.

I'm Scottish and I was born there and but in my heart I'm a Londoner.

You don't want a second-class set of citizens inside the United States.

We all owe America. It's not the other way around.

Everybody in America has been dependent on the government at some time. We owe everybody in America the right to vote and access to capital. What I say is, let's make America work, let's make democracy and free enterprise work for everybody.

Those who have enjoyed the benefits of our system more than ever now owe a duty to protect the system that has created the greatest nation on this planet.

I've never felt like this country owed me anything. If anything, I am forever in debt to this country.

I want Americans to realize that we are the owners of this country, and that one person can make a difference.

I think that's the reason why I'm proud to play for Belgium - because I can take ownership. I'm not saying that I'm not proud of being Congolese as well - but I'm saying this is also my country, and anything that happens in my country, I want to have a say.

Our job is to help people take ownership of the process of electing their government. As leaders, our job is to inspire others and not discourage them.

A civically engaged citizenry feeds oxygen to our democracy.

I'm not sure that the benefit - as a writer and as a citizen - that I would get from reading at least the front page of the Times every day or every other day would outweigh the depression.

It's preferable for the Palestinians to become citizens of the state than for us to divide the country.

You want to defend citizenship? Don't persecute or isolate those without papers. Just live like a citizen. That'd be a first-class way to be American.

DACA is a lifeline for individuals who have grown up in the U.S. but who lack immigration papers.

One thing my father said was that if you find yourself in a country where you have to carry papers, you know it has a lousy government.

Joe and I are still very aware of the fact that we live in a country where he criticised the government and lived another day. That trumps all. To paraphrase Churchill, democracy is the worst form of government apart from all the other forms of government. You constantly have to fight for it; you have to keep your government honest.

We are not naughty children, and the state is not our parent.