--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I admired Truman, among many other…" description: "\"I admired Truman, among many other things, because he integrated the Army. I admired JFK because the very first civil rights legislation was passed at ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/jed-s-rakoff-24994_admired_i-admired-truman-among-many-other-things_752152.jpg" --- # I admired Truman, among many other things, because he… ![“I admired Truman, among many other things, because he integrated the Army. I admired JFK because the very first civil rights legislation was passed at his insistence. JFK showed what you could do, though he was a deeply flawed person, as we all now know.” quote by Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/jed-s-rakoff-24994_admired_i-admired-truman-among-many-other-things_752152.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/jed-s-rakoff-24994_admired_i-admired-truman-among-many-other-things_752152.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f22/jed-s-rakoff-24994_admired_i-admired-truman-among-many-other-things_752152.jpg) > “I admired Truman, among many other things, because he integrated the Army. I admired JFK because the very first civil rights legislation was passed at his insistence. JFK showed what you could do, though he was a deeply flawed person, as we all now know.” [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He admires Truman for integrating the military and Kennedy for pushing early civil‑rights law, acknowledging their achievements despite personal flaws. **In simple terms:** Admiration for leaders who act on principle despite imperfections. Key Takeaway Recognize and emulate principled actions, not perfect people. Themes leadership civil rights integrity Mood reflective critical Type historical political When to use this quote - policy advocacy - historical analysis - public service - leadership training Key Concepts political reform ethical compromise Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance praise for achievements with accountability for flaws? - What safeguards prevent misuse of power? A Different Perspective Flawed leaders can still cause harm if unchecked. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Insistence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insistence/) [Jfk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jfk/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [The dress hat took a nosedive after the dashing JFK showed up at his inauguration bareheaded. Suddenly, a chapeau was no longer de rigueur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-stone/the-dress-hat-took-a-nosedive-after-the-dashing-jfk-showed-up-at-his/) [Roger Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-stone/) > [“If we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/if-we-cannot-end-now-our-differences-at-least-we-can-help-make-the/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I'm pretty sure that I was JFK in my past life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kesha/i-m-pretty-sure-that-i-was-jfk-in-my-past-life/) [Kesha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kesha/) > [“It's almost as if Kennedy grabbed a decade out of the 21st century," Cernan said, "and spliced it into the 1960s." That helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-chaikin/it-s-almost-as-if-kennedy-grabbed-a-decade-out-of-the-21st-century/) Andrew Chaikin > [The argument that John F. Kennedy was a closet peacenik, ready to give up on what the Vietnamese call the 'American War' upon re-election,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/the-argument-that-john-f-kennedy-was-a-closet-peacenik-ready-to-give/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [The true mystery of the JFK assassination isn't 'How could the bullet go through two people with only slight damage?' but 'Why did the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/the-true-mystery-of-the-jfk-assassination-isn-t-how-could-the-bullet/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [After he was assassinated, his family and the men who had served him continued the lying and began the destruction, censoring and hiding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-reeves/after-he-was-assassinated-his-family-and-the-men-who-had-served-him/) [Richard Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-reeves/) > [“...it...planted seeds of doubt as to whether we think diabolically enough when we wonder what our government is doing behind our backs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-zapruder/it-planted-seeds-of-doubt-as-to-whether-we-think-diabolically-enough/) Alexandra Zapruder > [I would not call myself a veteran conspiracy theorist. Or an obsessed one. I pretty much peaked on the whole conspiracy theory thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-davis/i-would-not-call-myself-a-veteran-conspiracy-theorist-or-an-obsessed/) [Patti Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-davis/) > [I look at it like this: that if Shakespeare were alive today, he would have written two or three plays about the Kennedy family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-look-at-it-like-this-that-if-shakespeare-were-alive-today-he-would/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [Any society that could come here could pick up the lights from New York. What should we do about that? Should we darken New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/any-society-that-could-come-here-could-pick-up-the-lights-from-new/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [I fell for MUJI socks at their store in N.Y.C.'s JFK airport, and now I get them in bundles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-piazza/i-fell-for-muji-socks-at-their-store-in-n-y-c-s-jfk-airport-and-now-i/) [Vincent Piazza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-piazza/) > [“No thoughts had I of anything, Or at least that's what I thought; I even thought I couldn't think, But now I think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-miller/no-thoughts-had-i-of-anything-or-at-least-that-s-what-i-thought-i/) [Christopher Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-miller/) > [I'm not an expert or a trained ballistician. But it is a subject I've studied intently for 50 years, so I may know a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/i-m-not-an-expert-or-a-trained-ballistician-but-it-is-a-subject-i-ve/) [Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/) > [The lesson of the Clinton years and of Obama's win of both the nomination and the general election in 2008 is that Democrats need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-meacham/the-lesson-of-the-clinton-years-and-of-obama-s-win-of-both-the/) [Jon Meacham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-meacham/) ## More by Jed S. Rakoff > [When I was a kid, and for many years after, I was your classic afraid-to-dance-type person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/when-i-was-a-kid-and-for-many-years-after-i-was-your-classic-afraid/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [It's very hard to uphold individual liberty when the person you're representing is often a crook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/it-s-very-hard-to-uphold-individual-liberty-when-the-person-you-re/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [The price of being a nice guy is too high - much too high - in terms of the system of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/the-price-of-being-a-nice-guy-is-too-high-much-too-high-in-terms-of/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [In baseball you have individual responsibility, and if you fail it, you get an error. But at the same time, your focus is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/in-baseball-you-have-individual-responsibility-and-if-you-fail-it-you/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [I was always attracted to taking a novel position, but one grounded in the materials I'd been given, not made up out of whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/i-was-always-attracted-to-taking-a-novel-position-but-one-grounded-in/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [Companies do not commit crimes; only their agents do. And while a company might get the benefit of some such crimes, prosecuting the company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/companies-do-not-commit-crimes-only-their-agents-do-and-while-a/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [If crimes are committed, they are committed by people; they are not committed by some free-floating entity. These companies and other entities don't operate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/if-crimes-are-committed-they-are-committed-by-people-they-are-not/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [I've never been impressed with bureaucratic tradition. I don't like it when the parties come to me and say, 'This is the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/i-ve-never-been-impressed-with-bureaucratic-tradition-i-don-t-like-it/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [One of the many things I like about baseball is how it combines individual talent and teamsmanship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/one-of-the-many-things-i-like-about-baseball-is-how-it-combines/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [I think it's common sense to say that the longer away from a crime it gets prosecuted, the less deterrent effect there is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/i-think-it-s-common-sense-to-say-that-the-longer-away-from-a-crime-it/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [Everything needs to be public. The legitimacy of the courts comes from the fact that they reason openly, on the record, based on facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/everything-needs-to-be-public-the-legitimacy-of-the-courts-comes-from/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [In my experience, most federal prosecutors, at every level, are seeking to make a name for themselves, and the best way to do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/in-my-experience-most-federal-prosecutors-at-every-level-are-seeking/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [Why should the court impose a judgment in a case in which the SEC alleges a serious securities fraud, but the defendant neither admits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/why-should-the-court-impose-a-judgment-in-a-case-in-which-the-sec/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [If, in the name of combating terrorism, we so restrict our own freedom, have we not thereby lost part of the very battle we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/if-in-the-name-of-combating-terrorism-we-so-restrict-our-own-freedom/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) > [Judges have to be neutral, but they don't have to be eunuchs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-s-rakoff/judges-have-to-be-neutral-but-they-don-t-have-to-be-eunuchs/) [Jed S. Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) [Explore all 23 Jed S. Rakoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-s-rakoff/) ## More Admired quotes > [To me, true style icons have been few and far between. Elizabeth Taylor comes to mind. I never got to meet her while she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-rocha/to-me-true-style-icons-have-been-few-and-far-between-elizabeth-taylor/) [Coco Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-rocha/) > [Most women you know are very much interested in the man who is reputed to be deeply admired by other women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-desmond/most-women-you-know-are-very-much-interested-in-the-man-who-is/) [Arthur Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-desmond/) > [The creation of George Smiley, the retired spy recalled to hunt for just such a high-ranking mole in 'Tinker, Tailor,' was extremely personal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/the-creation-of-george-smiley-the-retired-spy-recalled-to-hunt-for/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/) [George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/) > [I always admired virtue - but I could never imitate it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-always-admired-virtue-but-i-could-never-imitate-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've always looked at guys who I've admired, like John Williams and Lalo Schifrin and Max Steiner, and looked at the choices they made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-ve-always-looked-at-guys-who-i-ve-admired-like-john-williams-and/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [Admired as a saint, defined by my rank. Combined with my strength, my time and my length.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/admired-as-a-saint-defined-by-my-rank-combined-with-my-strength-my/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [ \[On her father's death:\] Gone was the person who had known me better than anyone else on earth and who had loved and admired… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-brody/on-her-father-s-death-gone-was-the-person-who-had-known-me-better/) [Jane Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-brody/) > [I've always admired actors such as Tabu, Nandita Das and Shabana Azmi and I'd like to do the kind of roles that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanam-saeed/i-ve-always-admired-actors-such-as-tabu-nandita-das-and-shabana-azmi/) [Sanam Saeed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanam-saeed/) > [In life, if you are intelligent then you will be admired but if you are prominent then you are envied meanwhile if you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeka/in-life-if-you-are-intelligent-then-you-will-be-admired-but-if-you/) [Jeka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeka/) > [ He \[A. 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