--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is an issue just like 9-11... We…" description: "\"This is an issue just like 9-11... We didn't decide we wanted to fight the war on terrorism because we wanted to. It was brought to us. And if not now,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d7/rick-santorum-1840_court_this-is-an-issue-just-like-9-11-we-didn_1372652.jpg" --- # This is an issue just like 9-11... We didn't decide we… ![“This is an issue just like 9-11... We didn't decide we wanted to fight the war on terrorism because we wanted to. It was brought to us. And if not now, when? When the supreme courts in all the other states have succumbed to the Massachusetts version of the law?” quote by Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d7/rick-santorum-1840_court_this-is-an-issue-just-like-9-11-we-didn_1372652.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d7/rick-santorum-1840_court_this-is-an-issue-just-like-9-11-we-didn_1372652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d7/rick-santorum-1840_court_this-is-an-issue-just-like-9-11-we-didn_1372652.jpg) > “This is an issue just like 9-11... We didn't decide we wanted to fight the war on terrorism because we wanted to. It was brought to us. And if not now, when? When the supreme courts in all the other states have succumbed to the Massachusetts version of the law?” [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## 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 suggests that the war on terrorism was imposed on the nation, not chosen voluntarily, and urges immediate action before courts adopt similar laws elsewhere. **In simple terms:** War was forced upon us; act now before more courts follow. Key Takeaway Act promptly before similar laws spread. Themes politics war justice policy urgency Mood concerned urgent critical Type political persuasive warning When to use this quote - legislative debates - court rulings - public protests - policy formulation Key Concepts sovereignty legal precedent public opinion Questions to Reflect On - Should citizens demand more agency in foreign policy? - How can legal systems balance security and liberty? A Different Perspective Assumes all courts will follow Massachusetts law, which may not be true. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Gay marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-marriage/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Massachusetts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massachusetts/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) [Terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War on terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terror/) [War on terrorism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-on-terrorism/) ## Related quotes > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Winning the war on terrorism will also require a level of moral clarity that can provide a vision for struggling people and nations everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/winning-the-war-on-terrorism-will-also-require-a-level-of-moral/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [As many critics have pointed, out, terrorism is not an enemy. It is a tactic. Because the United States itself has a long record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eldridge-odom/as-many-critics-have-pointed-out-terrorism-is-not-an-enemy-it-is-a/) William Eldridge Odom > [Beyond the futility of armed force, and ultimately more important, is the fact that war in our time inevitably results in the indiscriminate killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/beyond-the-futility-of-armed-force-and-ultimately-more-important-is/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The war on terrorism was a bait and switch operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-alterman/the-war-on-terrorism-was-a-bait-and-switch-operation/) [Eric Alterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-alterman/) > [The catch-all phrase "the war on terrorism", in all honesty, has no more meaning than if one wants to wage a war against "criminal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-catch-all-phrase-the-war-on-terrorism-in-all-honesty-has-no-more/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/how-can-you-have-a-war-on-terrorism-when-war-itself-is-terrorism/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [The true credit for our safety and security goes to our men and women who are serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asa-hutchinson/the-true-credit-for-our-safety-and-security-goes-to-our-men-and-women/) [Asa Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asa-hutchinson/) > [We are in a war on terrorism. We need to conduct that war and take it to the terrorists, not here at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-l-thomas/we-are-in-a-war-on-terrorism-we-need-to-conduct-that-war-and-take-it/) [Craig L. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-l-thomas/) > [You cannot win a War on Terrorism. It's like having a war on jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/you-cannot-win-a-war-on-terrorism-it-s-like-having-a-war-on-jealousy/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [It is all too evident that our nation, and the governments of other countries, require all the help they can get in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/it-is-all-too-evident-that-our-nation-and-the-governments-of-other/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [I think it's very hard to fight the war on terrorism if we're in retreat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-think-it-s-very-hard-to-fight-the-war-on-terrorism-if-we-re-in/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [Those are the things that, in the wrong hands - and certainly in our war on terrorism we also must attack proliferation and those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-shelton/those-are-the-things-that-in-the-wrong-hands-and-certainly-in-our-war/) [Hugh Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-shelton/) > [I share the Presidents commitment to fighting and winning the war on terrorism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-shelby/i-share-the-presidents-commitment-to-fighting-and-winning-the-war-on/) [Richard Shelby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-shelby/) > [This war on terrorism is going to continue for an indefinite period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-ridge/this-war-on-terrorism-is-going-to-continue-for-an-indefinite-period/) [Tom Ridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-ridge/) ## More by Rick Santorum > [We know the candidate Barack Obama, what he was like - the anti-war government nig... America was a source for division around the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-know-the-candidate-barack-obama-what-he-was-like-the-anti-war/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [We had 90 percent rates, but nobody paid them. And so you had all these exemptions, exclusions, shelters, all this kind of stuff. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/we-had-90-percent-rates-but-nobody-paid-them-and-so-you-had-all-these/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-would-say-any-type-of-sexual-activity-has-absolutely-no-place-in/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I support the death penalty and will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-support-the-death-penalty-and-will-continue-to-do-that/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Suffering, if you're a Christian, suffering is a part of life. And it's not a bad thing, it is an essential thing in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/suffering-if-you-re-a-christian-suffering-is-a-part-of-life-and-it-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture, ... When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/priests-like-all-of-us-are-affected-by-culture-when-the-culture-is/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [“The basic unit of society is the family. No one comes into this world as a self-sufficient individual. We start out as the helpless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-basic-unit-of-society-is-the-family-no-one-comes-into-this-world/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [In 1923 there were no government benefits for immigrants except one: Freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/in-1923-there-were-no-government-benefits-for-immigrants-except-one/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Now is the time to act or get stuck with a bland, boring, career politician who will lose to Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/now-is-the-time-to-act-or-get-stuck-with-a-bland-boring-career/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [My mom was a working woman. She made more money than my dad. Both my parents worked. And this was in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/my-mom-was-a-working-woman-she-made-more-money-than-my-dad-both-my/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Almost 60,000 average Americans had the courage to go out and charge those beaches on Normandy, to drop out of airplanes who knows where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/almost-60-000-average-americans-had-the-courage-to-go-out-and-charge/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ The state has a right to do that \[outlaw contraceptives\], I have never questioned that the state has a right to do that. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/the-state-has-a-right-to-do-that-outlaw-contraceptives-i-have-never/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [ One of Governor Romney's aides today on television said that Governor Romney, after he wins the primaries, will be like an \[Etch A Sketch\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/one-of-governor-romney-s-aides-today-on-television-said-that-governor/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I dont know of one group of people thats more disliked than politicians -- it may be the folks who gave us the Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-dont-know-of-one-group-of-people-thats-more-disliked-than/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [Obviously the first thing we need to do is repeal “Obamacare.” That's one entitlement that we can get rid of. And that's a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/obviously-the-first-thing-we-need-to-do-is-repeal-obamacare-that-s/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) [Explore all 204 Rick Santorum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) ## More Court quotes > [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [I have always worked really hard off the court. I think it's helped me play more consistently on the tour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/i-have-always-worked-really-hard-off-the-court-i-think-it-s-helped-me/) [Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/) > [The human element should be the two players on the court, not the officials. The best officials are the ones you never notice. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-scott/the-human-element-should-be-the-two-players-on-the-court-not-the/) Gene Scott > [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [A federal court has ruled that the U.S. Postal Service must reduce its stamp prices. The change in stamp prices is expected to affect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/a-federal-court-has-ruled-that-the-u-s-postal-service-must-reduce-its/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [The dog is guided by kindly instinct to the man or woman whose heart is open to his advances. The cat often leaves the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-repplier/the-dog-is-guided-by-kindly-instinct-to-the-man-or-woman-whose-heart/) [Agnes Repplier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-repplier/) > [What I do know is I'm going to give absolute 100 percent effort any time I'm on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-ariza/what-i-do-know-is-i-m-going-to-give-absolute-100-percent-effort-any/) [Trevor Ariza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-ariza/) > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. 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