--- title: "10 Scary Quotes By John Ashcroft" description: "10 Scary quotes by John Ashcroft. Plus more from John Ashcroft and more Scary sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg" --- > [Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the-service/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg) > [For the first time in a long time, our leaders in Washington understand what Americans of all religious backgrounds have long held…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-leaders-in-washington/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/john-ashcroft-9612_all-things_for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-le_2940722.jpg) > [ \[Ashcroft vowed to\] spare no effort to preserve the rights of all our citizens to pledge allegiance to the American flag. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-preserve-the-rights-of-all-our/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/john-ashcroft-9612_allegiance_ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-pre_3212533.jpg) > [If America is to be great in the future, it will be if we understand that our source is not civic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future-it-will-be-if-we-understand/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/john-ashcroft-9612_america_if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future_2802495.jpg) > [We are a nation called to defend freedom - a tradition that is not a grant of any government or document, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-are-a-nation-called-to-defend-freedom-a-tradition-that-is-not-a/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/466/john-ashcroft-9612_endowment_we-are-a-nation-called-to-defend-freedom_794652.jpg) > [ \[The war on terrorism isn't a religious war, but\] a defense of our right to make moral choices, to seek fellowship with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-war-on-terrorism-isn-t-a-religious-war-but-a-defense-of-our-right/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ef/john-ashcroft-9612_choices_the-war-on-terrorism-isn-t-a-religious-w_3059213.jpg) > [We must embrace the power of faith, but we must never confuse politics and piety. For me, may I say that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-we-must-never-confuse-politics/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/john-ashcroft-9612_embrace_we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-w_491018.jpg) > [We're going to protect and honor the Constitution, and I don't have the authority to set it aside… If I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-re-going-to-protect-and-honor-the-constitution-and-i-don-t-have/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/117/john-ashcroft-9612_authority_we-re-going-to-protect-and-honor-the-con_1370836.jpg) > [Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/unique-among-the-nations-america-recognized-the-source-of-our/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/john-ashcroft-9612_america_unique-among-the-nations-america-recogni_468682.jpg) > [Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the meeting, he said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/frankly-the-president-during-the-first-opportunity-i-had-to-be-in-a/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e5/john-ashcroft-9612_ashamed_frankly-the-president-during-the-first-o_438881.jpg) ## Other authors on Scary ## More by John Ashcroft > [An FBI agent ought to be able to surf the net and look for sites that instruct people how to make bombs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/an-fbi-agent-ought-to-be-able-to-surf-the-net-and-look-for-sites-that/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [The FBI has long been a part of the security for the nation's banks because bank robberies have been a priority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-has-long-been-a-part-of-the-security-for-the-nation-s-banks/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Our priorities should be: recognizing the voice of God and responding to the voice of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/our-priorities-should-be-recognizing-the-voice-of-god-and-responding/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [People who commit crimes should be responsible for those crimes. It doesn't matter whether they're priests or ministers or atheists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/people-who-commit-crimes-should-be-responsible-for-those-crimes-it/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [I decided this early on at Justice: if the traditional way was the most effective way of doing something, then we'd maintain it. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-decided-this-early-on-at-justice-if-the-traditional-way-was-the/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We must not descend to the level of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence by targeting individuals based on their race, their religion, or their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-not-descend-to-the-level-of-those-who-perpetrated-tuesday-s/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We've got a major problem in our culture, as it relates to the Internet and pornography and child pornography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-ve-got-a-major-problem-in-our-culture-as-it-relates-to-the/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [The FBI. is a massive culture. It's been a culture that served America well, and it's been focused on prosecution. But what we need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/the-fbi-is-a-massive-culture-it-s-been-a-culture-that-served-america/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the-service/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [I feel the best way to ensure Americans' freedom is to tighten restrictions on that freedom in any way possible. Only through wiretaps, illegal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/i-feel-the-best-way-to-ensure-americans-freedom-is-to-tighten/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the meeting, he said, Folks, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/frankly-the-president-during-the-first-opportunity-i-had-to-be-in-a/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Nothing remains great without a capacity to change and to accommodate the conditions of a changing world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/nothing-remains-great-without-a-capacity-to-change-and-to-accommodate/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not being civic and temporal. And because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/unique-among-the-nations-america-recognized-the-source-of-our/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [What did John Ashcroft say about moderates, he said, quote, there are two things you find in the middle of the road, a moderate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/what-did-john-ashcroft-say-about-moderates-he-said-quote-there-are/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) > [We must embrace the power of faith, but we must never confuse politics and piety. For me, may I say that it is against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-we-must-never-confuse-politics/) [John Ashcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashcroft/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/john-ashcroft/#itemlist", "name": "10 Scary Quotes By John Ashcroft", "numberOfItems": 10, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the-service/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any citizen who's offended ... can leave the service.” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For the first time in a long time, our leaders in Washington understand what Americans of all religious backgrounds have long held to be true: through faith, all things are possible.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-leaders-in-washington/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/john-ashcroft-9612_all-things_for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-le_2940722.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/john-ashcroft-9612_all-things_for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-le_2940722.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fed/john-ashcroft-9612_all-things_for-the-first-time-in-a-long-time-our-le_2940722.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For the first time in a long time, our leaders in Washington understand what Americans of all religious…” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[Ashcroft vowed to] spare no effort to preserve the rights of all our citizens to pledge allegiance to the American flag.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-preserve-the-rights-of-all-our/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/john-ashcroft-9612_allegiance_ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-pre_3212533.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/john-ashcroft-9612_allegiance_ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-pre_3212533.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ab/john-ashcroft-9612_allegiance_ashcroft-vowed-to-spare-no-effort-to-pre_3212533.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“[Ashcroft vowed to] spare no effort to preserve the rights of all our citizens to pledge allegiance to the…” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If America is to be great in the future, it will be if we understand that our source is not civic and temporal, but our source is godly and eternal.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future-it-will-be-if-we-understand/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/john-ashcroft-9612_america_if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future_2802495.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/john-ashcroft-9612_america_if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future_2802495.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/549/john-ashcroft-9612_america_if-america-is-to-be-great-in-the-future_2802495.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If America is to be great in the future, it will be if we understand that our source is not civic and…” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a nation called to defend freedom - 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For me, may I say that it is against my religion to impose my religion.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-we-must-never-confuse-politics/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/john-ashcroft-9612_embrace_we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-w_491018.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/john-ashcroft-9612_embrace_we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-w_491018.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/john-ashcroft-9612_embrace_we-must-embrace-the-power-of-faith-but-w_491018.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We must embrace the power of faith, but we must never confuse politics and piety. 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And because we have understood that our source is eternal, America has been different. We have no king but Jesus.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/unique-among-the-nations-america-recognized-the-source-of-our/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/john-ashcroft-9612_america_unique-among-the-nations-america-recogni_468682.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/john-ashcroft-9612_america_unique-among-the-nations-america-recogni_468682.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ff/john-ashcroft-9612_america_unique-among-the-nations-america-recogni_468682.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Unique among the nations, America recognized the source of our character as being godly and eternal, not…” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the meeting, he said, Folks, before we begin this meeting, I'm going to call on General Ashcroft and ask him invite the wisdom and presence of God in what we do. And I thought to myself how ashamed I'd been that so many times in my life I had entered upon great important tasks and I had cheated myself and those that I had served of a blessing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ashcroft" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashcroft/frankly-the-president-during-the-first-opportunity-i-had-to-be-in-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e5/john-ashcroft-9612_ashamed_frankly-the-president-during-the-first-o_438881.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e5/john-ashcroft-9612_ashamed_frankly-the-president-during-the-first-o_438881.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e5/john-ashcroft-9612_ashamed_frankly-the-president-during-the-first-o_438881.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Frankly, the president, during the first opportunity I had to be in a Cabinet meeting, before we started the…” — John Ashcroft", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/john-ashcroft/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/john-ashcroft/", "name": "Scary Quotes by John Ashcroft", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scary/john-ashcroft/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3dc/john-ashcroft-9612_citizen_any-citizen-who-s-offended-can-leave-the_394189.jpg" }, "description": "10 Scary quotes by John Ashcroft. 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