--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To overcome extremism, we must also be…" description: "\"To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/barack-obama-17_america_to-overcome-extremism-we-must-also-be-vi_2394346.jpg" --- # To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in… ![“To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/barack-obama-17_america_to-overcome-extremism-we-must-also-be-vi_2394346.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/barack-obama-17_america_to-overcome-extremism-we-must-also-be-vi_2394346.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/990/barack-obama-17_america_to-overcome-extremism-we-must-also-be-vi_2394346.jpg) > “To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. That is why I have ordered the closing of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists – because living our values doesn't make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger.” [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. Advocates that upholding national values and moral leadership strengthens security and justice. **In simple terms:** Values and moral example protect a nation. Key Takeaway Uphold core values to enhance security. Themes leadership values national security Mood inspirational determined Type political motivational When to use this quote - policy reform - justice system - military ethics Key Concepts moral authority counterterrorism Questions to Reflect On - Can moral leadership outweigh military force? - How to balance justice with security? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Extremism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremism/) [Guantanamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guantanamo/) [Guantanamo bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guantanamo-bay/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Our troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-troops/) [Overcoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overcoming/) [Torture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torture/) [Troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troops/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I believe the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war. That is what makes us different from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-believe-the-united-states-of-america-must-remain-a-standard-bearer/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We will never win this war until we understand the effect that Guantanamo Bay has had on the overall war effort. And we'll never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/we-will-never-win-this-war-until-we-understand-the-effect-that/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) > [Shouldn't the American leadership be addressing what is happening in America, with its domestic policies on racism, discrimination, illegal monitoring, solitary confinement, torture, Guantanamo…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/shouldn-t-the-american-leadership-be-addressing-what-is-happening-in/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [If we capture any of these ISIS killers alive, they are going to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and we're going to find out everything they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/if-we-capture-any-of-these-isis-killers-alive-they-are-going-to/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [ Anyway, the \[Barack\] Obama administration took four years to say they weren't gonna do anything on George W. Bush. There were all kinds of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/anyway-the-barack-obama-administration-took-four-years-to-say-they/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Guantanamo Bay houses enemy combatants ranging from terrorist trainers and recruiters to bomb makers, would-be suicide bombers, and terrorist financiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chocola/guantanamo-bay-houses-enemy-combatants-ranging-from-terrorist/) [Chris Chocola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chocola/) > [The world is not kind to whistleblowers - a term of art with particular resonance in football, the most hierarchical and repressive of organized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-leavy/the-world-is-not-kind-to-whistleblowers-a-term-of-art-with-particular/) [Jane Leavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-leavy/) > [With the NDAA, his failure to close Guantanamo Bay and the ramping use of drones, President Obama looks suspiciously like President Bush, a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-sane/with-the-ndaa-his-failure-to-close-guantanamo-bay-and-the-ramping-use/) [Justin Sane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-sane/) > [I'm sure if there is a debate, Guantanamo Bay must be closed. And it should be closed, because it does not belong in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamedou-ould-slahi/i-m-sure-if-there-is-a-debate-guantanamo-bay-must-be-closed-and-it/) [Mohamedou Ould Slahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamedou-ould-slahi/) > [Second, the facility at Guantanamo Bay is necessary to national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/second-the-facility-at-guantanamo-bay-is-necessary-to-national/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [ Closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is a promise President \[Barack\] Obama made it but has yet to fulfill. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audie-cornish/closing-the-prison-in-guantanamo-bay-cuba-is-a-promise-president/) [Audie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audie-cornish/) > [...the facility at Guantanamo Bay is necessary to national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-miller/the-facility-at-guantanamo-bay-is-necessary-to-national-security/) [Jeff Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-miller/) > [Prisoners, according to the law, who are non-U.S. citizens and are detained outside the U.S. - including in Guantanamo Bay - are denied 'habeas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/prisoners-according-to-the-law-who-are-non-u-s-citizens-and-are/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Many nights I wake up not able to breathe. I think I'm in Guantanamo Bay. I'm crying and shouting and making it very hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamedou-ould-slahi/many-nights-i-wake-up-not-able-to-breathe-i-think-i-m-in-guantanamo/) [Mohamedou Ould Slahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamedou-ould-slahi/) > [Closing Guantanamo Bay is not a military solution. The closing of that prison, which I support, I supported it when I was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/closing-guantanamo-bay-is-not-a-military-solution-the-closing-of-that/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) ## 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": "To overcome extremism, we must also be vigilant in upholding the values our troops defend – because there is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. 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