--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everything bad gets shot at in America…" description: "\"“Everything bad gets shot at in America, says John Cole, and everything good too.”\" — Sebastian Barry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/sebastian-barry-3654_america_everything-bad-gets-shot-at-in-america-s_3178047.png" --- # Everything bad gets shot at in America, says John Cole… ![“Everything bad gets shot at in America, says John Cole, and everything good too.” quote by Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/sebastian-barry-3654_america_everything-bad-gets-shot-at-in-america-s_3178047.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/sebastian-barry-3654_america_everything-bad-gets-shot-at-in-america-s_3178047.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36e/sebastian-barry-3654_america_everything-bad-gets-shot-at-in-america-s_3178047.png) > ““Everything bad gets shot at in America, says John Cole, and everything good too.”” [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The line reflects the paradox that both negative and positive events are subject to criticism or suppression in America. **In simple terms:** Both good and bad are censored. Key Takeaway Recognize bias in narratives. Themes media censorship paradox Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - reading news - debating policies - advocating free speech - teaching critical thinking - writing editorials Key Concepts political science media studies Questions to Reflect On - Why are good stories sometimes silenced? - How can we ensure balanced discourse? A Different Perspective Not all criticism is equal; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-says-804265/) [Cole Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cole-good-5811448/) [Gun culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun-culture/) [Guns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guns/) [John Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-cole-2657564/) [Says John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-john-4864178/) [Shot America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shot-america-3421570/) ## Related quotes > [“I'll keep in touch, says Lige, ain't going to let you go. This makes John Coke very quiet. John is a tall man and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/i-ll-keep-in-touch-says-lige-ain-t-going-to-let-you-go-this-makes/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [I've shot films in Africa. I've shot in America - English is not my language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-leone/i-ve-shot-films-in-africa-i-ve-shot-in-america-english-is-not-my/) [Sergio Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-leone/) > [“room stood Spector with a gun in his hand, pointed at the studio ceiling. Pang says, “John had his fingers in his ears, going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-doyle/room-stood-spector-with-a-gun-in-his-hand-pointed-at-the-studio/) [Tom Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-doyle/) > [“John Cole was stupidly beautiful, in that he was so beautiful it made me stupid. Not that I was staring or anything. “Sorry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-scott/john-cole-was-stupidly-beautiful-in-that-he-was-so-beautiful-it-made/) [Kylie Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-scott/) > [A leader in America or anyone who says they truly care about this nation without taking some kind of action is either a liar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/a-leader-in-america-or-anyone-who-says-they-truly-care-about-this/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-andujar/there-is-one-word-in-america-that-says-it-all-and-that-one-word-is/) [Joaquin Andujar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-andujar/) > [America says we are a great democratic society and other people should follow our example. Well, I say we benefited from slavery, and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/america-says-we-are-a-great-democratic-society-and-other-people/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [We have the capacity to make sure that every mother has pre-natal care. Yet, we don't do it. What is it about America? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-have-the-capacity-to-make-sure-that-every-mother-has-pre-natal/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Whenever anybody says what you do isn't good, it's always unflattering and makes me feel uncomfortable. But when the person who's in charge of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-mooney/whenever-anybody-says-what-you-do-isn-t-good-it-s-always-unflattering/) [Kyle Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-mooney/) > [In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-tan/in-america-nobody-says-you-have-to-keep-the-circumstances-somebody/) [Amy Tan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-tan/) > [We know we can't stop every act of violence, every act of evil in the world, but maybe we could try to stop one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-know-we-can-t-stop-every-act-of-violence-every-act-of-evil-in-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [My belief is guns don't kill people, people kill people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauly-shore/my-belief-is-guns-don-t-kill-people-people-kill-people/) [Pauly Shore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauly-shore/) > [A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/a-well-regulated-militia-being-necessary-to-the-security-of-a-free/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Our current gun culture simply ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience-store confrontations over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/our-current-gun-culture-simply-ensures-that-more-and-more-domestic/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [ Half of the \[USA\] population, roughly, thinks the world was created a couple thousand years ago. Two thirds of the country is expecting the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/half-of-the-usa-population-roughly-thinks-the-world-was-created-a/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## More by Sebastian Barry > [“As I do not seem able much to heal, then maybe I can simply be a responsible witness to the miracle of the ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/as-i-do-not-seem-able-much-to-heal-then-maybe-i-can-simply-be-a/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“In the darkness as we lie side by side John Cole's left hand snakes over under the sheets and takes a hold of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/in-the-darkness-as-we-lie-side-by-side-john-cole-s-left-hand-snakes/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“His people had hogs there till the bottom fell out of hogs. The bottom was always falling out of something in America far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/his-people-had-hogs-there-till-the-bottom-fell-out-of-hogs-the-bottom/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“Spring comes into Massachusetts with her famous flame. God’s breath warming the winter out of things”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/spring-comes-into-massachusetts-with-her-famous-flame-god-s-breath/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [And whatever my life had been up to that day, it was another life after that. And that is the gospel truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/and-whatever-my-life-had-been-up-to-that-day-it-was-another-life/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“The knives opened the flesh like they were painting paintings of a new country, sheer plains of dark land, with the red rivers bursting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/the-knives-opened-the-flesh-like-they-were-painting-paintings-of-a/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“I suppose therefore God is the connoisseur of filthied hearts and souls, and can see the old, the first pattern in them, and cherish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/i-suppose-therefore-god-is-the-connoisseur-of-filthied-hearts-and/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“There is a craziness in it all that betokens a kind of delicious freedom. Notions are cast off. If only for a moment. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/there-is-a-craziness-in-it-all-that-betokens-a-kind-of-delicious/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [He loved telling stories. He had been everywhere in the world. The northwest frontier, the landscape of the Hindu Kush, was one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/he-loved-telling-stories-he-had-been-everywhere-in-the-world-the/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“Our smiles mostly for each other, and every stranger a possible demon or bear, till they proved otherwise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/our-smiles-mostly-for-each-other-and-every-stranger-a-possible-demon/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“It is always worth itemizing happiness, there is so much of the other thing in a life, you had better put down the markers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/it-is-always-worth-itemizing-happiness-there-is-so-much-of-the-other/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“I wonder if I were to have an X-ray at the little hospital, would the machine see my grief? Is it like rust, arheum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/i-wonder-if-i-were-to-have-an-x-ray-at-the-little-hospital-would-the/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“No one says too much and what is said is only light-hearted and bantering because we want to preserve our advantage over fear. Fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/no-one-says-too-much-and-what-is-said-is-only-light-hearted-and/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“They say we are creatures raised by God above the animals but any man that has lived knows that’s damned lies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/they-say-we-are-creatures-raised-by-god-above-the-animals-but-any-man/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) > [“There is a moment in the history of every beaten child when his mind parts with hopes of dignity — pushes off hope like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-barry/there-is-a-moment-in-the-history-of-every-beaten-child-when-his-mind/) [Sebastian Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) [Explore all 125 Sebastian Barry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-barry/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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