Citizenship Quote by Barack Obama
“Civility also requires relearning how to disagree without being disagreeable. Surely you can question my policies without questioning my faith or, for that matter, my citizenship.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on Civility, Washington D.C., 2015
Civility means engaging in disagreement respectfully, separating ideas from personal identity.
In simple terms: Disagree without attacking character.
Key Takeaway
Separate policy critique from personal attacks.
Themes
respect
dialogue
politics
Mood
thoughtful
calm
Type
ethical
instructional
When to use this quote
- political debates
- community meetings
- online forums
- workplace discussions
Key Concepts
civil discourse
identity separation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice respectful disagreement?
- What boundaries protect personal identity in debate?
A Different Perspective
People may still feel personally attacked despite respectful language.
![“Cassandra Dahnke and Tomas Spath, write: Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs, and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process….[Civility] is about disagreeing without disrespect, seeking common ground as a starting point for dialogue about differences, listening…” quote by Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5bc/bren-brown-280_common-ground_cassandra-dahnke-and-tomas-spath-write-c_737343.jpg)
![“That is another theme in the book [Dreams from My Father]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we get the black to see through the eyes of the white? Or the citizen to see through the eyes of the immigrant? Or the straight to see through the eyes of the gay? That has…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/00d/barack-obama-17_black_that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams_10185.jpg)
