--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every single American can exclaim…" description: "\"Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what they did in New York and Washington,' not even the bombs that our government has dropped on ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg" --- # Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what… ![“Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what they did in New York and Washington,' not even the bombs that our government has dropped on them for ten years or the embargo that has caused the deaths of so many children. That's of course true...The issue is simply an acceptance of…” quote by Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg) > “Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what they did in New York and Washington,' not even the bombs that our government has dropped on them for ten years or the embargo that has caused the deaths of so many children. That's of course true...The issue is simply an acceptance of reality and a fundamental fact of life: When governments do bad things to people, people sometimes retaliate.” [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) ## 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 no action, even extreme ones, can justify governmental oppression, and that retaliation is a natural human response to injustice. **In simple terms:** Government oppression cannot be justified; retaliation is natural. Key Takeaway Recognize injustice and seek peaceful change. Themes justice government retaliation human rights Mood defiant critical reflective Type political ethical social When to use this quote - protests - legal reform - public awareness campaigns - peaceful resistance Key Concepts political theory ethical relativism social contract Questions to Reflect On - What non‑violent actions could replace retaliation? - How can societies hold governments accountable without violence? A Different Perspective It overlooks non‑violent alternatives and the moral cost of retaliation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs/) [Bombs Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombs-government-3213846/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Embargo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embargo/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Facts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-of-life/) [Fundamentals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fundamentals/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments-bad-4397715/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Justifies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justifies/) [Justify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justify/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Retaliate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-retaliate-6120006/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Ten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Washington Bombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/washington-bombs-6120007/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [The bombs the government drops in Iraq are the bombs that blew up in New York City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-bombs-the-government-drops-in-iraq-are-the-bombs-that-blew-up-in/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Tory governments are bad for Scotland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/tory-governments-are-bad-for-scotland/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [It is bad governments, not bad people, who cause revolutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/it-is-bad-governments-not-bad-people-who-cause-revolutions/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [One of the achievements of which I am most proud was the codification, the writing into U.S. law, of the U.S. embargo on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lincoln-diaz-balart/one-of-the-achievements-of-which-i-am-most-proud-was-the-codification/) [Lincoln Diaz-Balart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lincoln-diaz-balart/) > [It would be bad for the economy if we have another Jimmy Carter grain embargo, Jimmy, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter grain embargo, Jimmy Carter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/it-would-be-bad-for-the-economy-if-we-have-another-jimmy-carter-grain/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [ \[Barack Obama\] is aware of the criticism back home \[from Cuba\] that this embargo still exists. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-muir/barack-obama-is-aware-of-the-criticism-back-home-from-cuba-that-this/) [David Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-muir/) > [Wit is its own remedy. Liberty and commerce bring it to its true standard. The only danger is the laying an embargo. The same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-ashley-cooper-7th-earl-of-shaftesbury/wit-is-its-own-remedy-liberty-and-commerce-bring-it-to-its-true/) [Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-ashley-cooper-7th-earl-of-shaftesbury/) > [Paradoxically, no such embargo exists for the drugs and therapies that have revolutionized the treatment of serious diseases although many of them were created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-berg/paradoxically-no-such-embargo-exists-for-the-drugs-and-therapies-that/) [Paul Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-berg/) > [This was a "bad" example for U.S. slaves. Haiti was subjected to an embargo from the United States, which, along with many other countries,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwidge-danticat/this-was-a-bad-example-for-u-s-slaves-haiti-was-subjected-to-an/) [Edwidge Danticat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwidge-danticat/) > [“Me llamo Nick Vujicic, tengo 27 años y nací sin extremidades. Sin embargo mis circunstancias no me han limitado.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-llamo-nick-vujicic-tengo-27-a-os-y-nac-sin-extremidades-sin/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Now, in answer to the question would we use force in the Middle East. I don't know...I hope not. We have no plans to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-scratchley-brown/now-in-answer-to-the-question-would-we-use-force-in-the-middle-east-i/) [George Scratchley Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-scratchley-brown/) > [You have to look at the reality in Syria. Whenever we liberate any city or village from the terrorists, the civilians will go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/you-have-to-look-at-the-reality-in-syria-whenever-we-liberate-any/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Anybody's marriage might benefit from an occasional embargo on talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-yates/anybody-s-marriage-might-benefit-from-an-occasional-embargo-on-talk/) [Richard Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-yates/) > [“Crecer sin suelo. No se puede crecer sin suelo, y sin embargo, yo he tenido la sensación de hacerlo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-trueba/crecer-sin-suelo-no-se-puede-crecer-sin-suelo-y-sin-embargo-yo-he/) [David Trueba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-trueba/) > [“Residents grimly spoke of the crisis as “O Grab Me”—“embargo” spelled backward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wallace/residents-grimly-spoke-of-the-crisis-as-o-grab-me-embargo-spelled/) [Mike Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wallace/) ## More by Jacob G. Hornberger > [Unfortunately, liberals didn't stop with welfare-statism. They also turned to economic regulations, not understanding that such interventions, again, harmed the very people they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/unfortunately-liberals-didn-t-stop-with-welfare-statism-they-also/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [No matter what federal program one selects - Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the drug war, the income tax and the IRS, education, foreign interventions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/no-matter-what-federal-program-one-selects-social-security-medicare/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [ The biggest threat to the American people today lies with the United States government. ... \[T\]he long-term solution is to dismantle, not reform, the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/the-biggest-threat-to-the-american-people-today-lies-with-the-united/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [Is there another way? Of course there is. There is a way based on simple moral principles: Everyone keeps his own money. Everyone decides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/is-there-another-way-of-course-there-is-there-is-a-way-based-on/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [The reason people hate America is because they don't like being treated like garbage by arrogant, pompous, hypocritical, self-righteous, duplicitous, imperialist political and bureaucratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/the-reason-people-hate-america-is-because-they-don-t-like-being/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [By the very nature of government schooling, the matter of what goes into school textbooks must necessarily be a political matter, to be decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/by-the-very-nature-of-government-schooling-the-matter-of-what-goes/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [A minimum-wage law, a law that prevents employers and employees from entering into mutually beneficial economic exchanges, is as far from a free market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/a-minimum-wage-law-a-law-that-prevents-employers-and-employees-from/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [Contrary to popular opinion, the Constitution was not - and is not - a grant of rights to the citizenry. Instead, the Constitution is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/contrary-to-popular-opinion-the-constitution-was-not-and-is-not-a/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [ \[D\]ecade after decade, through taxes and regulations, governments at all levels took ever-increasing control over people's lives, wealth, and property. The control grew exponentially,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/d-ecade-after-decade-through-taxes-and-regulations-governments-at-all/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [The true patriot scrutinizes the actions of his own government with unceasing vigilance. And when his government violates the morality and rightness associated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/the-true-patriot-scrutinizes-the-actions-of-his-own-government-with/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [The cult of the omnipotent state has millions of followers in the united States. Americans of today view their government in the same way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/the-cult-of-the-omnipotent-state-has-millions-of-followers-in-the/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [The Trouble with liberals is twofold: They have a horrible blind spot with respect to moral principles and they have an abysmal understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/the-trouble-with-liberals-is-twofold-they-have-a-horrible-blind-spot/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [Those who advocate either slavery or income taxation should be ashamed of themselves. Genuine freedom entails the abolition, not the reform, of income taxation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/those-who-advocate-either-slavery-or-income-taxation-should-be/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [Every day, IRS agents levy liens on homes, bank accounts, and businesses; they confiscate cars, furniture, boats, and other personal property without the constitutional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/every-day-irs-agents-levy-liens-on-homes-bank-accounts-and-businesses/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [There is a common perception that there are two alternative libertarian positions on immigration: government-controlled borders and open borders. Nothing could be further from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/there-is-a-common-perception-that-there-are-two-alternative/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) [Explore all 27 Jacob G. Hornberger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what they did in New York and Washington,' not even the bombs that our government has dropped on them for ten years or the embargo that has caused the deaths of so many children. That's of course true...The issue is simply an acceptance of reality and a fundamental fact of life: When governments do bad things to people, people sometimes retaliate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacob G. Hornberger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothing-justifies-what-they-did-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothing-justifies-what-they-did-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/292/jacob-g-hornberger-22243_acceptance_every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothin_1606731.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing justifies what they did in New York and Washington,' not even…” — Jacob G. Hornberger", "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": "Jacob G. Hornberger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Every single American can exclaim, 'Nothing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothing-justifies-what-they-did-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/every-single-american-can-exclaim-nothing-justifies-what-they-did-in/#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 } } ] } ```