Political Quotes

“I want to thank the executive directors of the Words Can Heal Campaign, Rabbi Irwin Katsof and Rabbi Chaim Feld, whom I had the pleasure of knowing during my trip to Israel. When they first came to me and showed me their Words Can Heal Campaign pledge, I said that I wanted to get involved in a meaningful way and I thought of this resolution as a way to do it, because words can make a difference, and that is the pledge that we make one word at a time. In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks against the United States, we have borne witness to the ability of words to help in the healing process, as friends and allies offered their condolences and their support to our efforts. We have also felt the brunt of the verbal attacks by enemies of the United States who rejoice in the violence perpetrated against us. Words matter. The ability to voice views freely and resolve differences through dialogue and persuasion is fundamental to our American style of government and our democracy, as it is to world peace. To reiterate, for that process to work well, our words must reflect mutual respect, truth, understanding, and fairness. The Words Can Heal effort is a strong first step toward a future generation of Americans and global leaders who will value the power of words and practice ethical speech.”