The most important accomplishment, I believe, was my voting against the First World War.
Jeannette RankinRead
It will be hard to convince people that their welfare is safe in the hands of a federal government when they feel themselves the victims of unjust sectional discrimination.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the challenge of gaining public trust in government when people believe they are being treated unfairly.
Jeannette Rankin's quote reflects the deep distrust that can arise among citizens when they perceive that their welfare and interests are compromised by unjust practices, particularly when influenced by sectional biases. It emphasizes the importance of fairness and equality in governance, suggesting that without addressing feelings of discrimination, it becomes nearly impossible for the government to gain the confidence and assurance of its people.
In practice
During a town hall meeting discussing government policies.
The most important accomplishment, I believe, was my voting against the First World War.
There can be no compromise with war; it cannot be reformed or controlled; cannot be disciplined into decency or codified into common sense.
As a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.
I worked for suffrage for years, and got it. I've worked for peace for 55 years and haven't come close.
Small use it will be to save democracy for the race if we cannot save the race for democracy.
I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war.
The only guarantee of the Bill of Rights which continues to have any force and effect is the one prohibiting quartering troops on citizens in time of peace. All the rest have been disposed of by judicial interpretation and legislative whittling.
Criticism of government finds sanctuary in several portions of the 1st Amendment. It is part of the right of free speech. It embraces freedom of the press
We expected, I expected to find actual usable, chemical or biological weapons after we entered Iraq. But I have to accept, as the months have passed, it seems increasingly clear that at the time of invasion, Saddam did not have stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons ready to deploy.
Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote...that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.
Terrorism constitutes a direct attack on the values the UN stands for: the rule of law; the protection of civilians; peaceful resolution of conflicts; and mutual respect between people of different faiths and cultures.
It is a remarkable fact in the political history of man that there is scarcely an instance of a free constitutional government which has been the work exclusively of foresight and wisdom. They have all been the result of a fortunate combination of circumstances.
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