--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, at times this issue has tended to…" description: "\"Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an 'either-or' type of debate. Either we protect our people from terror or we protect our most c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg" --- # Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an… ![“Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an 'either-or' type of debate. Either we protect our people from terror or we protect our most cherished principles. But that is a false choice. It asks too little of us and assumes too little about America.” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg) > “Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an 'either-or' type of debate. Either we protect our people from terror or we protect our most cherished principles. But that is a false choice. It asks too little of us and assumes too little about America.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that security and values are not mutually exclusive; we must uphold both rather than choose one over the other. **In simple terms:** Security and values can coexist; no false binary. Key Takeaway Reject false binaries; protect both people and principles. Themes security values politics ethics leadership Mood thoughtful determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - policy debates - public speeches - government briefings Key Concepts civil liberties terrorism national identity policy making Questions to Reflect On - How can policies protect citizens without compromising core values? - What examples show successful integration of security and principle? A Different Perspective Balancing security with liberty can be complex and politically contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We know we must win the war on terror to protect innocent people and the freedoms that define our way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-hastings/we-know-we-must-win-the-war-on-terror-to-protect-innocent-people-and/) [Doc Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-hastings/) > [If we truly believe in our public schools, then we have a moral responsibility to do better - to break the either-or mentality around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-we-truly-believe-in-our-public-schools-then-we-have-a-moral/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A lot of the issues that I see, it is not an either-or situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/a-lot-of-the-issues-that-i-see-it-is-not-an-either-or-situation/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Together we resolve that a great nation must care for the vulnerable and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/together-we-resolve-that-a-great-nation-must-care-for-the-vulnerable/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Those of us who have the privilege to serve this country have an obligation to do our job as best we can. We come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/those-of-us-who-have-the-privilege-to-serve-this-country-have-an/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I feel like most people aren't either/or, they're both/and. You're both magnanimous and petty. You're both kind and cruel. You're never just one thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-feel-like-most-people-aren-t-either-or-they-re-both-and-you-re-both/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [We crave a world of either/or, but the Dream says, Both/and. We build a wall between our social persona and our inner selves; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ian-barasch/we-crave-a-world-of-either-or-but-the-dream-says-both-and-we-build-a/) [Marc Ian Barasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ian-barasch/) > [Terrorism is an immediate problem that people are very concerned about, and I am as concerned about that as anyone else. But it isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-attenborough/terrorism-is-an-immediate-problem-that-people-are-very-concerned/) [David Attenborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-attenborough/) > [There is no either / or between being competitive and collaborative. You have to be both and decide which in each situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathie-black/there-is-no-either-or-between-being-competitive-and-collaborative-you/) [Cathie Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathie-black/) > [Some may find them merely diverting melodies. Others may find them incitements to Red revolution. And who will say if either or both is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/some-may-find-them-merely-diverting-melodies-others-may-find-them/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [The question is not do you take money out of stocks and put it into real estate, or the reverse. There's so much money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-zell/the-question-is-not-do-you-take-money-out-of-stocks-and-put-it-into/) [Sam Zell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-zell/) > [Independent of the critique I'm making, I'm just trying to paint a more comprehensive portrait of American religion than you get from a right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/independent-of-the-critique-i-m-making-i-m-just-trying-to-paint-a/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [Life is as complex as we are. Sometimes our vulnerability is our strength, our fear develops our courage, and our woundedness is the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/life-is-as-complex-as-we-are-sometimes-our-vulnerability-is-our/) [Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/) > [I’m a feminist so I believe in inhabiting contradictions. I believe in making contradictions productive, not in having to choose one side or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-m-a-feminist-so-i-believe-in-inhabiting-contradictions-i-believe-in/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Life is not "either or," it's "both and"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/royce-white/life-is-not-either-or-it-s-both-and/) [Royce White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/royce-white/) ## More by Barack Obama > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I want to thank the Greek people publicly for their humanitarian response to the crisis of so many migrants and refugees seeking safety in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-want-to-thank-the-greek-people-publicly-for-their-humanitarian/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We had a farewell dinner for some of my senior staff, and generally everybody likes to talk about how cool I was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-had-a-farewell-dinner-for-some-of-my-senior-staff-and-generally/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ It's good to get fresh legs in \[the White house\]. I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an 'either-or' type of debate. Either we protect our people from terror or we protect our most cherished principles. But that is a false choice. It asks too little of us and assumes too little about America.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barack Obama" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-degenerate-into-an-either-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-degenerate-into-an-either-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/barack-obama-17_america_now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-de_1301681.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Now, at times this issue has tended to degenerate into an 'either-or' type of debate. Either we protect our…” — Barack Obama", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barack Obama", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Now, at times this issue has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-degenerate-into-an-either-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/now-at-times-this-issue-has-tended-to-degenerate-into-an-either-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```