If I still had my legs, I would be in line for a battalion command, and instead, I'm flying a desk.
Tammy DuckworthRead
We are all dishonored when a veteran sleeps on the same streets that he or she has defended. We are all dishonored when a veteran's family has to live in a shelter while he or she is out fighting for us. WE NEED TO FIX THAT!
Interpretation
This quote highlights the shame of allowing veterans to suffer on the streets after serving their country.
Tammy Duckworth's quote emphasizes the dishonor felt by society when veterans, who have bravely defended their nation, are left without shelter and basic needs. It calls for collective responsibility to ensure that veterans and their families receive the dignity and support they deserve, urging society to take action to rectify this injustice.
In practice
This quote can be used in speeches advocating for veteran's rights.
If I still had my legs, I would be in line for a battalion command, and instead, I'm flying a desk.
It was the combination of hard work and a hand up that allowed me to become one of the first women to fly in combat missions and achieve my American Dream.
I went to Iraq in 2004 because I believe in doing my duty, not because I agreed with the war.
The women putting their lives at risk for our country deserve better than to be treated as second-class citizens.
The wheelchair and the prosthesis give me a soapbox to stand on. If it helps me get my message across, I'm glad; then we need to talk about what we need to do for this country.
As I recovered at Walter Reed, I worried about the soldiers who pulled me out of my helicopter that Friday afternoon. Would they make it back okay? And what about all the other soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who were also putting their lives on the line every day?
The war we have to wage today has only one goal, and that is to make the world safe for diversity.
I have come up at the end of a dive, and the boat was not where I left it. I had to take care of a buddy who did panic. But I was confident the boat would come back.
Those who criticize, they desire our blood not our pain. But still I must achieve I must seek truth in all things. I must endure for the power I was sent forth, for the world for the children. But have mercy, for I've been bleeding a long time now.
Valor grows by daring, fear by holding back.
For too long, we've allowed ourselves to equate targeted bullying with innocent teasing, or dismissed it as pranks and ignored the torment and long-term impact that an incident like this has on young people.
I grew up in a culture in which it was a sin for a woman to speak out.
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