--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Governments can err, Presidents do make…" description: "\"Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1d/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_charity_governments-can-err-presidents-do-make-m_2210457.jpg" --- # Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the… ![“Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant omission…” quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1d/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_charity_governments-can-err-presidents-do-make-m_2210457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1d/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_charity_governments-can-err-presidents-do-make-m_2210457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c1d/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_charity_governments-can-err-presidents-do-make-m_2210457.jpg) > “Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant omission of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.” [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government mistakes are inevitable, but a compassionate government is preferable to one that is indifferent and unresponsive. **In simple terms:** Compassionate governance outweighs occasional errors. Key Takeaway Prioritize empathy in public policy. Themes government compassion justice leadership policy ethics Mood concerned thoughtful analytical Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - public administration - crisis response - social reform Key Concepts public good moral responsibility social welfare Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens ensure government accountability? - What balance between compassion and competence is needed? A Different Perspective Compassion alone may not fix systemic failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Charity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charity/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Cold blooded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold-blooded/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-justice/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments/) [Ice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ice/) [Indifference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indifference/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Making mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-mistakes/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Omission](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omission/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) [Warm hearted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warm-hearted/) ## Related quotes > [Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/better-the-occasional-faults-of-a-government-that-lives-in-a-spirit/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Why were so many Americans treated by their government as though their lives were as disposable as facial tissues? Because that was the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/why-were-so-many-americans-treated-by-their-government-as-though/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The government is already into our lives a whole lot more than they should be. If I were president, I'd roll everything back. Everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevens/the-government-is-already-into-our-lives-a-whole-lot-more-than-they/) [Ray Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevens/) > [Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/every-decent-man-is-ashamed-of-the-government-he-lives-under/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-5/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [We want a state wise in its contemplation - just in its actions - and moderate in the reach of government into our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-perdue/we-want-a-state-wise-in-its-contemplation-just-in-its-actions-and/) [Sonny Perdue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-perdue/) > [The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself...Almost inevitably, he comes to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hl-mencken-america-writer/the-most-dangerous-man-to-any-government-is-the-man-who-is-able-to-3/) HL Mencken America Writer > [“Thus, Michelangelo filled the chapel with hidden messages of his passionate loves and his righteous rages, along with mystic symbols of divine justice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-blech/thus-michelangelo-filled-the-chapel-with-hidden-messages-of-his/) [Benjamin Blech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-blech/) > [“(c) Satisfaction or some painful work, imposed by the priest and performed by the penitent, to satisfy divine justice for sins committed; and (d)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-alexander-hodge/c-satisfaction-or-some-painful-work-imposed-by-the-priest-and/) [Archibald Alexander Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-alexander-hodge/) > [“The weapons of divine justice are blunted by the confession and sorrow of the offender.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante/the-weapons-of-divine-justice-are-blunted-by-the-confession-and/) [Dante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante/) > [“ever there is doubt as to the advisability of advancing a human identity to the mansion worlds, the universe governments invariably rule in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urantia-foundation/ever-there-is-doubt-as-to-the-advisability-of-advancing-a-human/) Urantia Foundation > [“I'm not at all sure that it isn't the case that God is not "all love," just that "love" is manifest in various ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loran-blood/i-m-not-at-all-sure-that-it-isn-t-the-case-that-god-is-not-all-love/) Loran Blood > [“... how could any young man merely sit back and wait for divine justice to take its course? It was asking the impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/how-could-any-young-man-merely-sit-back-and-wait-for-divine-justice/) [Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/) > [“And there it was. The prim face of censure he’d been seeking. A strange sense of satisfaction descended on him. Divine justice, perhaps. Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-dare/and-there-it-was-the-prim-face-of-censure-he-d-been-seeking-a-strange/) [Tessa Dare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-dare/) > [If God has laid your sins upon the Son of His love, you may rest assured that He will never lay them a second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavius-winslow/if-god-has-laid-your-sins-upon-the-son-of-his-love-you-may-rest/) [Octavius Winslow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavius-winslow/) ## More by Franklin D. Roosevelt > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Inquisitiveness is the most useful talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/inquisitiveness-is-the-most-useful-talent/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > ['Peace on earth, good will toward men' - democracy must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-on-earth-good-will-toward-men-democracy-must-cling-to-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I have seen war ... I hate war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-hate-war/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [All of our people all over the country-except the pure-blooded Indians-are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, including even those who came over here on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/all-of-our-people-all-over-the-country-except-the-pure-blooded/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [They have given their sons to the military services. They have stoked the furnaces and hurried the factory wheels. They have made the planes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/they-have-given-their-sons-to-the-military-services-they-have-stoked/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [On the European Front the most important development of the past year has been the crushing offensive of the Great Armies of Russia...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/on-the-european-front-the-most-important-development-of-the-past-year/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The core of our defense is the faith we have in the institutions we defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-core-of-our-defense-is-the-faith-we-have-in-the-institutions-we/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [War is a contagion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/war-is-a-contagion/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Labor Day symbolizes our determination to achieve an economic freedom for the average man which will give his political freedom realty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/labor-day-symbolizes-our-determination-to-achieve-an-economic-freedom/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Too often in recent history liberal governments have been wrecked on rocks of loose fiscal policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/too-often-in-recent-history-liberal-governments-have-been-wrecked-on/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The frontier of America is on the Rhine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-frontier-of-america-is-on-the-rhine/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/repetition-does-not-transform-a-lie-into-a-truth/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The future lies with those wise political leaders who realize that the great public is interested more in Government than in politics. The growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-future-lies-with-those-wise-political-leaders-who-realize-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) [Explore all 521 Franklin D. Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) ## More Charity quotes > [The greatest charity you can contribute to is yourself. Instead of spending a dollar to help feed hungry children, why not spend that dollar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-greatest-charity-you-can-contribute-to-is-yourself-instead-of/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I would have none of that rigid circumspect charity which is never done without scrutiny, and which always mistrusts the truth of the necessities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-massillon/i-would-have-none-of-that-rigid-circumspect-charity-which-is-never/) [Jean Baptiste Massillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-massillon/) > [I'm publicist, patron of nine charities, creative director, food consultant, recipe developer - and mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-publicist-patron-of-nine-charities-creative-director-food/) [Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/) > [The next time you're looking at a charity, don't ask about the rate of their overhead. Ask about the scale of their dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) F. A. Harper > [I shall pray God to send charity into this hideous world, and sympathy for the weak, and love for the unhappy and unfortunate. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wyndham/i-shall-pray-god-to-send-charity-into-this-hideous-world-and-sympathy/) [John Wyndham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wyndham/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Considering community support and cost-benefit analysis, I have supported earmarks for projects of high public purpose involving such areas as higher education, alternative energy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-fortenberry/considering-community-support-and-cost-benefit-analysis-i-have/) [Jeff Fortenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-fortenberry/) > [It's always great to be able to give back to the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-vucevic/it-s-always-great-to-be-able-to-give-back-to-the-community/) [Nikola Vucevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-vucevic/) > [Slander is a poison which kills charity, both in the slanderer and the one who listens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-of-clairvaux/slander-is-a-poison-which-kills-charity-both-in-the-slanderer-and-the/) [Bernard of Clairvaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-of-clairvaux/) > [I like to give back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/i-like-to-give-back/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-restore-power-to-the-family-to-the-neighborhood-and-the/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [“It takes a female to have a baby, It takes a woman to raise a child, It takes a mother to raise them correctly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-takes-a-female-to-have-a-baby-it-takes-a-woman-to-raise-a-child-it/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I own about 300 pairs of shoes. When I start to go over 300, I have mini-sales from my closet and give the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-london/i-own-about-300-pairs-of-shoes-when-i-start-to-go-over-300-i-have/) [Stacy London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-london/) [Browse all 2,477 Charity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant omission of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Franklin D. 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