--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think Ed Koch is the person most…" description: "\"I think Ed Koch is the person most responsible for allowing AIDS to get out of control. It happened here first, on his watch. If he had done what any m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/larry-kramer-13922_aids_i-think-ed-koch-is-the-person-most-respo_2924624.jpg" --- # I think Ed Koch is the person most responsible for… ![“I think Ed Koch is the person most responsible for allowing AIDS to get out of control. It happened here first, on his watch. If he had done what any moral human being should have done in the beginning, and put out alarms, then a lot fewer people would have gotten sick.” quote by Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/larry-kramer-13922_aids_i-think-ed-koch-is-the-person-most-respo_2924624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/larry-kramer-13922_aids_i-think-ed-koch-is-the-person-most-respo_2924624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0aa/larry-kramer-13922_aids_i-think-ed-koch-is-the-person-most-respo_2924624.jpg) > “I think Ed Koch is the person most responsible for allowing AIDS to get out of control. It happened here first, on his watch. If he had done what any moral human being should have done in the beginning, and put out alarms, then a lot fewer people would have gotten sick.” [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political in can exacerbate health crises; early action could have reduced AIDS impact **In simple terms:** Political inaction worsened AIDS; early warnings could have saved lives Key Takeaway Advocate for swift, transparent public health responses Themes public health politics AIDS crisis Mood urgent reflective Type activist historical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - community health initiatives - early warning systems - public education Key Concepts responsibility government accountability Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold leaders accountable in health emergencies? - What mechanisms ensure early response to emerging diseases? A Different Perspective Complex political factors also influence disease spread, not just one individual ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Ed Koch will never 'rest in peace.' That was not his way. He was always nervously squirming, while making others squirm as well. Comfort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/ed-koch-will-never-rest-in-peace-that-was-not-his-way-he-was-always/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“Fred Koch’s political views were apparently shaped by his traumatic exposure to the Soviet Union. Over time, Stalin brutally purged several of Koch’s Soviet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/fred-koch-s-political-views-were-apparently-shaped-by-his-traumatic/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [There will never be another Ed Koch. He was an original, but he represented a significant, if shrinking, segment of American Jewry who refused…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/there-will-never-be-another-ed-koch-he-was-an-original-but-he/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“1958, Fred Koch became one of eleven original members of the John Birch Society, the archconservative group best known for spreading far-fetched conspiracy theories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/1958-fred-koch-became-one-of-eleven-original-members-of-the-john/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency’s database revealed Koch Industries to be the number one producer of toxic waste in the country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/in-2012-the-environmental-protection-agency-s-database-revealed-koch/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Say what you will about him Ed Koch is still the best show in town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-hamill/say-what-you-will-about-him-ed-koch-is-still-the-best-show-in-town/) [Pete Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-hamill/) > [Ed Koch had the best line: if you agree with me nine out of twelve times, you should vote for me. If you agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/ed-koch-had-the-best-line-if-you-agree-with-me-nine-out-of-twelve/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [“When Donald later took out full-page ads criticizing the White House’s military spending overseas and advocating more financial aid for the homeless (yes, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-l-o-brien/when-donald-later-took-out-full-page-ads-criticizing-the-white-house/) [Timothy L. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-l-o-brien/) > [I was pulled out of school for every moratorium day and every rally for a left-wing candidate... from Ed Koch in his heyday to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-meledandri/i-was-pulled-out-of-school-for-every-moratorium-day-and-every-rally/) [Chris Meledandri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-meledandri/) > [ “a 1960 self-published broadside, A Business Man Looks at Communism, Koch claimed that “the Communists have infiltrated both the Democrat \[sic\] and Republican Parties.”… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/a-1960-self-published-broadside-a-business-man-looks-at-communism/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [“It is unclear what Fred Koch’s views of Hitler were during the 1930s, beyond his preference for the country’s work ethic in comparison with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/it-is-unclear-what-fred-koch-s-views-of-hitler-were-during-the-1930s/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Big city mayors don't play well with voters outside their city anymore. Just ask John Lindsay, Ed Koch, Kevin White, Tom Bradley, Dick Riordon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/big-city-mayors-don-t-play-well-with-voters-outside-their-city/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Ed Koch once said that New York City is where immigrants come to audition for America. That's what happened to my parents; that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/ed-koch-once-said-that-new-york-city-is-where-immigrants-come-to/) [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/) > [“that a given bacterial species caused a specific disease. In 1876, Koch established a set of criteria that a bacterium must meet in test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-e-maczulak/that-a-given-bacterial-species-caused-a-specific-disease-in-1876-koch/) [Anne E. Maczulak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-e-maczulak/) > [“Koch believed that what the famed economist Joseph Schumpeter called "creative destruction" was so critical to the health of the capitalist system that empathy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-maclean/koch-believed-that-what-the-famed-economist-joseph-schumpeter-called/) [Nancy MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-maclean/) ## More by Larry Kramer > [“Holy shit," somebody muttered in the dark. "A virgin," sputtered another. "I didn't know they still made them." "He just did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/holy-shit-somebody-muttered-in-the-dark-a-virgin-sputtered-another-i/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Gay life in 1970 was very bleak, compartmentalized. You didn't take it to work. You had to really lead a double life. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/gay-life-in-1970-was-very-bleak-compartmentalized-you-didn-t-take-it/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [You do not get more with honey than with vinegar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/you-do-not-get-more-with-honey-than-with-vinegar/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Activism is very seductive, and writing is painful and hard. It's very scary to have a death threat living over your head. Activism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/activism-is-very-seductive-and-writing-is-painful-and-hard-it-s-very/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Writers are given one great story to tell their story. I’m telling my story as a political document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/writers-are-given-one-great-story-to-tell-their-story-i-m-telling-my/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [ We're all going to go crazy, living this epidemic \[AIDS\] every minute, while the rest of the world goes on out there, all around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/we-re-all-going-to-go-crazy-living-this-epidemic-aids-every-minute/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I don't mind about the dead ones. They're dead. The worst of it is, they cling to the living and won't let go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/i-don-t-mind-about-the-dead-ones-they-re-dead-the-worst-of-it-is-they/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [There's no question that the gay movement would not be as far along as it is without AIDS. But how can there be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/there-s-no-question-that-the-gay-movement-would-not-be-as-far-along/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [By nature, Im an optimistic person. No one believes it, but I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/by-nature-im-an-optimistic-person-no-one-believes-it-but-i-am/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [The only way we'll have real pride is when we demand recognition of a culture that isn't just sexual. It's all there--all throughhistory we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/the-only-way-we-ll-have-real-pride-is-when-we-demand-recognition-of-a/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [“There will always be enemies. Time to stop being your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/there-will-always-be-enemies-time-to-stop-being-your-own/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I do not think the gay population has been all that rabid for gay marriage. Note that I do not use the words 'gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/i-do-not-think-the-gay-population-has-been-all-that-rabid-for-gay/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Mr. Do-Nothing Obama will say today, 'Lets think of all the poor dead people' - or 'let's honor all the dead' instead of fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/mr-do-nothing-obama-will-say-today-lets-think-of-all-the-poor-dead/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I love being gay. I love gay people. I think we're better than other people. I really do. I think we're smarter and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/i-love-being-gay-i-love-gay-people-i-think-we-re-better-than-other/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [The media in America is not covering American AIDS very much. They're covering African AIDS as if somehow miraculously it's all stopped here. Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/the-media-in-america-is-not-covering-american-aids-very-much-they-re/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) [Explore all 48 Larry Kramer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) ## More Aids quotes > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [I donated blood today. That's what I call getting an AIDS test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-donated-blood-today-that-s-what-i-call-getting-an-aids-test/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Women's Aid is a fantastic charity which has my full support. I am proud to call myself a Real Man, a man who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-fox/women-s-aid-is-a-fantastic-charity-which-has-my-full-support-i-am/) Neil Fox > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/at-the-time-when-this-famous-historical-battle-was-fought-in-kosovo/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record more as an embarrassment than as an aid to his theory ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/charles-darwin-viewed-the-fossil-record-more-as-an-embarrassment-than/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I don't think I could compare myself to Macaulay Culkin, because we're pretty much two different kinds of actors. He's done a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bonsall/i-don-t-think-i-could-compare-myself-to-macaulay-culkin-because-we-re/) [Brian Bonsall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bonsall/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) Browse all 1,983 Aids quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think Ed Koch is the person most responsible for allowing AIDS to get out of control. It happened here first, on his watch. 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