Political Quotes

“this past King holiday in Pennsylvania we put the idea of this bill into practice. Most of my staff and I spread out at a dozen sites across the State, engaging hundreds of Pennsylvanians in local public service and antiviolence efforts in the spirit of this year's holiday theme, ``Stop the Killing: Start the Healing and Building.'' We wanted to show that this holiday should not be only about civil rights, it should be about civic responsibility too--about taking responsibility to improve the communities in which we live. For Martin understood better than anyone that in a democracy, civil rights bear with them certain civic responsibilities, they are opposite sides of the same coin. That the only way to build a just society is to be a full and active participant in it. And I believe that the time has come when Americans are ready to be asked again what they can do for their country. So on the holiday, my staff and I spent the morning working with the United Way of Allegheny County delivering food to homeless shelters. Throughout Philadelphia we provided support staff to community police substations. In Chester we helped paint and repair a homeless shelter. In Erie we marched against youth violence. In other towns, we served meals to the elderly and worked with the tutored troubled teens. Community service, in all its forms, is one common sense response to the problem of youth violence. Rigorous, demanding service can give young people a different kind of gang.…”