Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I wish to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose birthday the Nation celebrated yesterday. Dr. King once said: ``The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'' These words are a specter, speaking to us now as though written for political moments precisely like the one we find ourselves in today. These words reflect the wisdom and tenacity of a man who deftly shaped his own moment and made our country better, fairer, and more just in the process. Dr. King was a remarkable figure, perhaps most of all because he was an ordinary man--a husband and a father like so many others--who made extraordinary choices. In the face of a society that told him he must sit down, he chose to take a stand. In the face of evil and systemic bigotry, he chose to embody the tenets of love and peace. In the face of improbable odds, he chose to fight. As a result, his legacy of tolerance, respect, and equality is forever cemented in the very foundation of this country, and we are all the better for it. Right up until the moment his life was taken from him, 50 years ago this year, Dr. King fought for an equal society, an equitable society, wherein we would judge one another not by the color of each other's skin, but by the content of our character.…”