We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws. It is wrong and ultimately self-defeating for a nation of immigrants to permit the kind of abuse of our immigration laws we have seen in recent years, and we must do more to stop it.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the dual identity of a nation as both welcoming immigrants and upholding laws, arguing against the abuse of immigration laws.
William J. Clinton's quote highlights the importance of balancing the values of a nation of immigrants with the necessity of adhering to its laws. By recognizing that welcoming newcomers is foundational to national identity, he underscores the need to maintain order and integrity within the immigration system to prevent exploitation and ensure fairness for all.
In practice
This quote can be used in discussions about current immigration policies to emphasize the need for reform.
You know, there was a recent poll which said that young people in the generation of the students here felt it was far more likely that they would see a UFO than that they would draw Social Security... It's very important you understand this. Once you understand this, you realize this is not an episode from the X Files, and you're not more likely to see a UFO if you do certain specific things.
When we got organized as a country, [and] wrote a fairly radical Constitution, with a radical Bill of Rights, giving radical amounts of freedom to Americans, it was assumed that Americans who had that freedom would use it responsibly...When personal freedom is being abused, you have to move to limit it.
For too long we've been told about 'us' and 'them.' Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that 'they' are the problem, not 'us.' But there can be no 'them' in America. There's only us.
There is a huge body of business evidence now showing that energy savings give better service at lower cost with higher profit. We have to tear down barriers to successful markets and we have to create incentives to enter them.
Demand that your government pays more attention. It's immoral that people in Africa die like flies of diseases that no one dies of in the United States. And the more disease there is, the more political unrest there will be, leading to more Darfurs, which the U.S. will have to pay to fix.
I was not elected to produce a pile of vetoes.
If you do not think well of Him because His qualities are beautiful then think well of Him because of the way He treats you.
Peace can only be secured by justice; never by force of arms.
You may have heard of the Slow Movement, which challenges the canard that faster is always better. You don't have to ditch your career, toss the iPhone, or join a commune to take part. Living 'Slow' just means doing everything at the right speed - quickly, slowly, or at whatever pace delivers the best results.
Tis but a part we see, and not a whole.
Charity . . . is the opium of the privileged.
The Absolute and the Infinite can become this universe only by limitation.
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