--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We cannot gamble with American lives. I…" description: "\"We cannot gamble with American lives. I will not gamble with American lives.\" — John F. Kelly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/john-f-kelly-27253_american_we-cannot-gamble-with-american-lives-i-w_2530088.jpg" --- # We cannot gamble with American lives. I will not gamble… ![“We cannot gamble with American lives. I will not gamble with American lives.” quote by John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/john-f-kelly-27253_american_we-cannot-gamble-with-american-lives-i-w_2530088.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/john-f-kelly-27253_american_we-cannot-gamble-with-american-lives-i-w_2530088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/john-f-kelly-27253_american_we-cannot-gamble-with-american-lives-i-w_2530088.jpg) > “We cannot gamble with American lives. I will not gamble with American lives.” [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker asserts that risking American lives for uncertain outcomes is unacceptable. **In simple terms:** Risking lives is not a gamble. Key Takeaway Avoid reckless decisions that endanger citizens. Themes responsibility leadership ethics Mood serious urgent Type political ethical When to use this quote - national security decisions - health crisis response - military operations Key Concepts risk management public safety policy making Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives exist to protect lives without gambling? - How do we balance risk and necessity? A Different Perspective Political pressures can force compromises that still endanger lives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-lives-1334891/) [Cannot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannot/) [Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gamble/) [Gamble American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gamble-american-1334889/) [Gambling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gambling/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Lives Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-gamble-1334890/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) ## Related quotes > [There are no second acts in American lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-are-no-second-acts-in-american-lives/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [We are saving American lives every single day. The court system has not made it easy for us. We've even created a new office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-are-saving-american-lives-every-single-day-the-court-system-has/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“The American lives in a land of wonders, in which everything seems to be in constant flux, and every change seems to mark an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/the-american-lives-in-a-land-of-wonders-in-which-everything-seems-to/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [“My family is a classic American-dream story. My great-grandparents fled Russia to avoid being murdered for their religion. Just two generations later, my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-litt/my-family-is-a-classic-american-dream-story-my-great-grandparents/) [David Litt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-litt/) > [Our presence in Afghanistan is not worth the price of any more American lives or treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/our-presence-in-afghanistan-is-not-worth-the-price-of-any-more/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Dennis Hopper is one of the great American lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-deitch/dennis-hopper-is-one-of-the-great-american-lives/) [Jeffrey Deitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-deitch/) > [Together we can save American lives, American jobs, and American futures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/together-we-can-save-american-lives-american-jobs-and-american-futures/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [American Lives Are Not More Important Than Other People's Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-avakian/american-lives-are-not-more-important-than-other-people-s-lives/) [Bob Avakian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-avakian/) > [The American lives even more for his goals, for the future, than the European. Life for him is always becoming, never being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-american-lives-even-more-for-his-goals-for-the-future-than-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I've been giving a little gamble on the roulette and just sitting having a coffee with the fans, chatting away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-hatton/i-ve-been-giving-a-little-gamble-on-the-roulette-and-just-sitting/) [Ricky Hatton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-hatton/) > [The world is the house of the strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/the-world-is-the-house-of-the-strong/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-cannot-beat-a-roulette-table-unless-you-steal-money-from-it/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Gambles are the most fun because it's part of being an actor or being a creative person. It's risky only in the vulnerable sense.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/gambles-are-the-most-fun-because-it-s-part-of-being-an-actor-or-being/) [Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/) > [I don't play golf competitively. I tell everybody that I cheat so they won't gamble with me. That's why you can't watch football. Everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-don-t-play-golf-competitively-i-tell-everybody-that-i-cheat-so-they/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Then they're like addicts; they can't help themselves... They will steal, cheat, embezzle and commit other crimes just to get money to gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/then-they-re-like-addicts-they-can-t-help-themselves-they-will-steal/) [John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/) ## More by John F. Kelly > [I don't agree with registering people based on ethnicity or religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/i-don-t-agree-with-registering-people-based-on-ethnicity-or-religion/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [I think we could very easily suffer a seriously catastrophic cyber event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/i-think-we-could-very-easily-suffer-a-seriously-catastrophic-cyber/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [Years ago, people didn't wear seatbelts. Now, most people wouldn't get in a car without putting a seatbelt on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/years-ago-people-didn-t-wear-seatbelts-now-most-people-wouldn-t-get/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [One day, you'll get out of the Marine Corps; you'll put your uniform up, but you'll never not be a Marine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/one-day-you-ll-get-out-of-the-marine-corps-you-ll-put-your-uniform-up/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [My sincere advice to any citizen considering moving to the United States and crossing our boundaries in irregular migration, my best advice is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/my-sincere-advice-to-any-citizen-considering-moving-to-the-united/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [I work for one man. His name is Donald Trump. He has told me one thing: 'Secure the border.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/i-work-for-one-man-his-name-is-donald-trump-he-has-told-me-one-thing/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [I'm pretty committed to the Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/i-m-pretty-committed-to-the-constitution/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [The one thing I was always told is you absolutely have to tell truth to power. Whether you're a second lieutenant working with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/the-one-thing-i-was-always-told-is-you-absolutely-have-to-tell-truth/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [The people that work the border will tell you that physical barriers, backed up by men and women, is what we need to secure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/the-people-that-work-the-border-will-tell-you-that-physical-barriers/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [Those with less of a sense of service to the nation never understand it when men and women of character step forward to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/those-with-less-of-a-sense-of-service-to-the-nation-never-understand/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [My first time overseas was taking 10,000 tons of beer to Vietnam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/my-first-time-overseas-was-taking-10-000-tons-of-beer-to-vietnam/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [If the Marines today are doing exactly the same thing their dads did in Vietnam and their granddads did in Korea and World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/if-the-marines-today-are-doing-exactly-the-same-thing-their-dads-did/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [If there's a country, and it's dangerous, and we deploy a U.S. military man or woman, if there's only one there, and they never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/if-there-s-a-country-and-it-s-dangerous-and-we-deploy-a-u-s-military/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [There will be no use of military forces in immigration. There will be no - repeat, no - mass deportations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/there-will-be-no-use-of-military-forces-in-immigration-there-will-be/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) > [We are at war and, like it or not, that is a fact. It is not Bush's war, and it is not Obama's war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kelly/we-are-at-war-and-like-it-or-not-that-is-a-fact-it-is-not-bush-s-war/) [John F. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) [Explore all 20 John F. Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kelly/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. 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The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We cannot gamble with American lives. I will not gamble with American lives.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John F. 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