--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The jelly-bean eating thug says that…" description: "\"The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is important. But national defense starts at home.\" — Dick Gregory" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dick-gregory-3266_beans_the-jelly-bean-eating-thug-says-that-nat_2183653.jpg" --- # The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is… ![“The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is important. But national defense starts at home.” quote by Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dick-gregory-3266_beans_the-jelly-bean-eating-thug-says-that-nat_2183653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dick-gregory-3266_beans_the-jelly-bean-eating-thug-says-that-nat_2183653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/dick-gregory-3266_beans_the-jelly-bean-eating-thug-says-that-nat_2183653.jpg) > “The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is important. But national defense starts at home.” [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. National security begins with personal responsibility and household preparedness. **In simple terms:** Defense starts at home. Key Takeaway Secure your household first. Themes responsibility security home citizenship Mood serious motivational Type political inspirational When to use this quote - family safety - community resilience - emergency planning Key Concepts civic duty personal preparedness Questions to Reflect On - How can you improve security at home? - What personal habits strengthen national defense? A Different Perspective Neglecting larger policy can undermine personal safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beans/) [Defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense/) [Defense Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-important-882051/) [Defense Starts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defense-starts-1481383/) [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Jelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jelly/) [Jelly bean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jelly-bean/) [National defense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-defense/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Says National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-national-4727120/) [Starts Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starts-home-4490728/) [Thug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thug/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [My belief has always been that national defense is the most important thing we do, but we shouldn't borrow to pay for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/my-belief-has-always-been-that-national-defense-is-the-most-important/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [What I say is, national defense is the most important thing we do in Washington, but there's still waste in the military budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/what-i-say-is-national-defense-is-the-most-important-thing-we-do-in/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [We have a media that goes along with the government by parroting phrases intended to provoke a certain emotional response - for example, "national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-have-a-media-that-goes-along-with-the-government-by-parroting/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I know it starts at home, but all families are not staying together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-wamp/i-know-it-starts-at-home-but-all-families-are-not-staying-together/) [Zach Wamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-wamp/) > [Confidence starts at home, and something my mother never did was look in the mirror and say she was ugly or fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-graham/confidence-starts-at-home-and-something-my-mother-never-did-was-look/) [Ashley Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-graham/) > [People always say defense starts with the heart. I try to have as much heart as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-ja-wilson/people-always-say-defense-starts-with-the-heart-i-try-to-have-as-much/) [A'ja Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-ja-wilson/) > [That's where your defense starts. If you are not good in transition, you probably aren't going to be good. Or you'll be taking it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-budenholzer/that-s-where-your-defense-starts-if-you-are-not-good-in-transition/) [Mike Budenholzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-budenholzer/) > [Defense all starts with the ball and the rim-protector is the last resort, the last line of defense. I take pride in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-jordan/defense-all-starts-with-the-ball-and-the-rim-protector-is-the-last/) [DeAndre Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-jordan/) > [Defense is so important for helping your team win games and for the game in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-gobert/defense-is-so-important-for-helping-your-team-win-games-and-for-the/) [Rudy Gobert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-gobert/) > [Self-defense is so important to know in today's society. It's not just that you might get mugged. It's more for confidence. It's the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/self-defense-is-so-important-to-know-in-today-s-society-it-s-not-just/) [Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/) > [For me, defense is something that's important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-connaughton/for-me-defense-is-something-that-s-important/) [Pat Connaughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-connaughton/) > [Those to whom defense is not important will have the best seat in the game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-majerus/those-to-whom-defense-is-not-important-will-have-the-best-seat-in-the/) [Rick Majerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-majerus/) > [Yeah, I think the idea for every offense is to have an identity and to be able to play fast, play quicker, put stress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-jones/yeah-i-think-the-idea-for-every-offense-is-to-have-an-identity-and-to/) [Mac Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-jones/) > [To those who don't think defense is important, you'll get the best seat on the bench.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-majerus/to-those-who-don-t-think-defense-is-important-you-ll-get-the-best/) [Rick Majerus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-majerus/) > [Local defense will always be important. But there is no local defense which alone will contain the mighty land power of the Communist world.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-foster-dulles/local-defense-will-always-be-important-but-there-is-no-local-defense/) [John Foster Dulles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-foster-dulles/) ## More by Dick Gregory > [My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/my-belief-is-you-know-certain-things-have-to-be-explained-that-s/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last time you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/you-hear-entertainers-all-the-time-saying-if-i-couldn-t-get-paid-for/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [What price would God demand from the churches for having the audacity to lighten the color of his son's skin, and straighten out his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/what-price-would-god-demand-from-the-churches-for-having-the-audacity/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [In the South they don't mind how close I get, so long as I don't get too big. In the North they don't mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/in-the-south-they-don-t-mind-how-close-i-get-so-long-as-i-don-t-get/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Eating liver out of a cow's body is like eating the filter out of a car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/eating-liver-out-of-a-cow-s-body-is-like-eating-the-filter-out-of-a/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-never-learned-hate-at-home-or-shame-i-had-to-go-to-school-for-that/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I am one of the funniest people on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-am-one-of-the-funniest-people-on-the-planet/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [“Dear Momma―Wherever you are, if ever you hear the word "nigger" again, remember they are advertising my book.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/dear-momma-wherever-you-are-if-ever-you-hear-the-word-nigger-again/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [The NAACP is a wonderful organization . . . But do you realize if tomorrow morning we had complete integration, all them cats would be outta work?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/the-naacp-is-a-wonderful-organization-but-do-you-realize-if-tomorrow/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Fear and God do not occupy the same space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/fear-and-god-do-not-occupy-the-same-space/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [I used to get letters saying, 'I didn't know black children and white children were the same.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/i-used-to-get-letters-saying-i-didn-t-know-black-children-and-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [People keep telling me about the white race and the black race - and it really doesn't make sense. I played Miami, met a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/people-keep-telling-me-about-the-white-race-and-the-black-race-and-it/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [If I had to write down the most important people in the history of this planet, No.1 would be (abolitionist) John Brown. Why? Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/if-i-had-to-write-down-the-most-important-people-in-the-history-of/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Last time I was down South I walked into this restaurant, and this white waitress came up to me and said: 'We don't serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/last-time-i-was-down-south-i-walked-into-this-restaurant-and-this/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Once we used to have to crank up our cars, now you can pop it on from inside your house. Everything has changed except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/once-we-used-to-have-to-crank-up-our-cars-now-you-can-pop-it-on-from/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) [Explore all 135 Dick Gregory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) ## More Beans quotes > [For Starbucks, there will be no shortage of the highest-quality arabica beans. I suspect that for some others there could potentially be a problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/for-starbucks-there-will-be-no-shortage-of-the-highest-quality/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Every study on chocolate is pointing to the same conclusion: there is something in chocolate that is really good for us. 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I love beans and rice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-fielder/i-like-beans-lentils-are-beans-right-i-love-beans-and-rice/) [Prince Fielder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-fielder/) > [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [It is a great delusion to suppose that flesh-meat of any kind is essential to health. Considerably more than three parts of the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-booth/it-is-a-great-delusion-to-suppose-that-flesh-meat-of-any-kind-is/) [Catherine Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-booth/) > [The beanball is one of the meanest things on Earth and no decent fellow would use it. The beanball is a potential murderer. 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