Asylums Quote by John F. Kerry
“Patriots don't go to Russia. They don't seek asylum in Cuba. They don't seek asylum in Venezuela. They fight their cause here. Edward Snowden is a coward. He is a traitor. And he has betrayed his country. And if he wants to come home tomorrow to face the music, he can do so.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public remarks, 2013, United States Senate floor
The speaker condemns perceived disloyalty, urging patriots to confront issues domestically rather than seeking refuge abroad, and labels a whistleblower as a traitor.
In simple terms: Patriots should fight at home, not flee; whistleblower is a traitor.
Key Takeaway
Stand firm at home, reject betrayal.
Themes
patriotism
loyalty
politics
whistleblowing
Mood
defiant
critical
Type
political
controversial
When to use this quote
- political debate
- media commentary
- public policy
- national security
Key Concepts
nationalism
civic duty
ethics
Questions to Reflect On
- Is dissent always betrayal?
- When is seeking asylum justified?
A Different Perspective
Accusing a whistleblower may overlook legitimate concerns about government overreach.
![“I wasn't terribly familiar. I had read some of the headlines but didn't quite understand difference between WikiLeaks...[Edward] Snowden. And then watching the documentary, working on the film, you got to see his personal journey through this and sort of understand more about what he went through.” quote by Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8fa/scott-eastwood-8417_differences_i-wasn-t-terribly-familiar-i-had-read-so_1186806.jpg)
![“The situation they [journalists and Edward Snowden] were in was incredibly heightened. The stakes were high. There was a lot of pressure, a lot of tension, a lot of sense of claustrophobic, clandestine energy that I think was exhilarating for us to explore and recreate. We were fortunate to shoot…” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c50/zachary-quinto-4021_amount_the-situation-they-journalists-and-edwar_1121168.jpg)
![“It's not exactly an interview that's going on [in documentary]. I guess we do ask Edward Snowden some questions and we're recording him answering them and so on like that.” quote by Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dee/melissa-leo-9231_asks_it-s-not-exactly-an-interview-that-s-goi_1084250.jpg)
![“I was really not familiar at all with Edward Snowden. I like to get that right out of the way and really learned most of what I know from Oliver's [Stones] script.” quote by Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bca/melissa-leo-9231_familiar_i-was-really-not-familiar-at-all-with-ed_944693.jpg)
![“[Edward Snowden and his team] they're great characters. They're fascinating people. They were in an extraordinary situation.” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a48/zachary-quinto-4021_character_edward-snowden-and-his-team-they-re-grea_906064.jpg)
![“It certainly woke me up to how vulnerable we all are. I think I was much more cavalier about it before I started working on the movie [Edward Snowden], and then the more I read the documents themselves and saw just how sweeping and indiscriminate the intrusions into our privacy have been, it made…” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/52b/zachary-quinto-4021_documents_it-certainly-woke-me-up-to-how-vulnerabl_515700.jpg)
![“The [Edward] Snowden disclosures created this perception that people's privacy was being put at significant risk.” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d2/michael-morell-26084_cybersecurity_the-edward-snowden-disclosures-created-t_402053.jpg)
![“People talk about [Bashar] Assad running Syria. He doesn't control his own country. He's down to about 20, 25 percent of the country. What is this fiction that he is somehow the only person who can save Syria? There's - with Assad there, there is no Syria. So that's what the Iranians and the…” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f3d/john-f-kerry-996_assad_people-talk-about-bashar-assad-running-s_24339.jpg)
![“You cannot bring peace in Syria as long as [Bashar] Assad is, in fact, there.” quote by John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/41d/john-f-kerry-996_assad_you-cannot-bring-peace-in-syria-as-long_56711.jpg)
![“We cannot possibly take them all into this country [asylum seekers] - it is a completely unrealistic expectation.” quote by Michael Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7f5/michael-howard-30918_asylum-seekers_we-cannot-possibly-take-them-all-into-th_202245.jpg)
