--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The calls that I have received from…" description: "\"The calls that I have received from President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the fact that there are other people that are suffering every bit as much..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/ted-olson-28366_about_the-calls-that-i-have-received-from-pres_811372.jpg" --- # The calls that I have received from President Bush and… ![“The calls that I have received from President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the fact that there are other people that are suffering every bit as much as I am, and that our whole nation is going through a tragedy together, I think we have to think about those things.” quote by Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/ted-olson-28366_about_the-calls-that-i-have-received-from-pres_811372.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/ted-olson-28366_about_the-calls-that-i-have-received-from-pres_811372.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/ted-olson-28366_about_the-calls-that-i-have-received-from-pres_811372.jpg) > “The calls that I have received from President Bush and Vice President Cheney, the fact that there are other people that are suffering every bit as much as I am, and that our whole nation is going through a tragedy together, I think we have to think about those things.” [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. National tragedies unite people, prompting reflection on shared suffering and collective response. **In simple terms:** Tragedies bring people together. Key Takeaway Recognize shared pain to foster unity. Themes tragedy unity empathy politics Mood thoughtful hopeful Type inspirational political When to use this quote - natural disasters - terrorist attacks - public health crises Key Concepts collective grief national resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders turn collective grief into constructive action? - What risks arise when tragedy is politicized? A Different Perspective Shared suffering can be exploited for political gain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Tragedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragedy/) [Vice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice/) ## Related quotes > [I think you haven't tried enough sometimes unless you're suffering a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonobo/i-think-you-haven-t-tried-enough-sometimes-unless-you-re-suffering-a/) [Bonobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonobo/) > [You know that feeling, she said, when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/you-know-that-feeling-she-said-when-you-are-reading-a-book-and-you-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“People love a real tragedy when they think it cannot happen to them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/people-love-a-real-tragedy-when-they-think-it-cannot-happen-to-them/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [The ways in which people are damaged are the ways in which they're strong. It's what makes people interesting - what they've overcome and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-polley/the-ways-in-which-people-are-damaged-are-the-ways-in-which-they-re/) [Sarah Polley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-polley/) > [Undoubtedly the war with Iraq was a tragedy. I think it was also a crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/undoubtedly-the-war-with-iraq-was-a-tragedy-i-think-it-was-also-a/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [By the time I was in my early-twenties and was living there on the Lower East Side, I was so surrounded by tragedy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-drooker/by-the-time-i-was-in-my-early-twenties-and-was-living-there-on-the/) [Eric Drooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-drooker/) > [I don't want to be constantly associated with tragedy. I think I'd like to be associated with the idea of 'hope'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-chuvalo/i-don-t-want-to-be-constantly-associated-with-tragedy-i-think-i-d/) [George Chuvalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-chuvalo/) > [I'm drawn to a lot of tragedies, and I love a Greek tragedy.But I would think - I start thinking realistically about it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/i-m-drawn-to-a-lot-of-tragedies-and-i-love-a-greek-tragedy-but-i/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [I have changed my definition of tragedy. I now think tragedy is not foul deeds done to a person (usually noble in some manner)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-have-changed-my-definition-of-tragedy-i-now-think-tragedy-is-not/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [It is never a bad time to tell your family you love them; don't think of it as prompted by a tragedy, think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-never-a-bad-time-to-tell-your-family-you-love-them-don-t-think/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I ran on the platform of moderation and won the election by a large margin. By virtue of the strong mandate that I received…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/i-ran-on-the-platform-of-moderation-and-won-the-election-by-a-large/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) > [I got a call saying that George Lucas wanted to meet me. Of all the phone calls I've received - Oliver Stone wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-got-a-call-saying-that-george-lucas-wanted-to-meet-me-of-all-the/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Maybe we, the cultural workers , could apply ourselves. We're not going to resolve it in this moment or even in this generation, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/maybe-we-the-cultural-workers-could-apply-ourselves-we-re-not-going/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I've seen suffering first-hand, and we have to make sure we relieve people's suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-gomez/i-ve-seen-suffering-first-hand-and-we-have-to-make-sure-we-relieve/) [Jimmy Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-gomez/) > [Obamacare is failing and the American people are suffering because of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/obamacare-is-failing-and-the-american-people-are-suffering-because-of/) [Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/) ## More by Ted Olson > [She said it had been hijacked shortly after takeoff. By this time, the plane had been in the air - again, I'm presuming that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/she-said-it-had-been-hijacked-shortly-after-takeoff-by-this-time-the/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [No one aspires as a child to grow up and enter into a domestic partnership. But they do aspire as children to grow up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/no-one-aspires-as-a-child-to-grow-up-and-enter-into-a-domestic/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [The Supreme Court has said that: Marriage is the most important relation in life. Now that's being withheld from the plaintiffs. It is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/the-supreme-court-has-said-that-marriage-is-the-most-important/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/it-happens-every-once-in-awhile-at-the-federal-level-when-the/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [The plane took off at 8:10 in the morning - or that's when it was scheduled to take off. And that's when I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/the-plane-took-off-at-8-10-in-the-morning-or-that-s-when-it-was/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [I immediately called the command center of the Department of Justice to let them know that my wife was on a plane that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/i-immediately-called-the-command-center-of-the-department-of-justice/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [These individuals are tyrants, and so they hate democracy. They are bigots, zealots, and persecutors, and so they hate Americas freedom tolerance, and respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/these-individuals-are-tyrants-and-so-they-hate-democracy-they-are/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [The reality is that our independent judiciary is the most respected branch of our government and the envy of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/the-reality-is-that-our-independent-judiciary-is-the-most-respected/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [It's easy to imagine an infinite number of situations where the government might legitimately give out false information,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/it-s-easy-to-imagine-an-infinite-number-of-situations-where-the/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [The very idea of marriage is basic to recognition as equals in our society any status short of that is inferior, unjust, and unconstitutional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/the-very-idea-of-marriage-is-basic-to-recognition-as-equals-in-our/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [I wanted it not to be true. I wanted it not to be her plane. I wanted it - I wanted, if it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/i-wanted-it-not-to-be-true-i-wanted-it-not-to-be-her-plane-i-wanted/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [My wife had taken off on a plane. Two airplanes had crashed into the World Trade Center. I, of course, like any other person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/my-wife-had-taken-off-on-a-plane-two-airplanes-had-crashed-into-the/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [You have to take strength from the people that love you and the people that love Barbara and the huge number of expressions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/you-have-to-take-strength-from-the-people-that-love-you-and-the/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [Would you like Fox's right to free press put up to a vote and say: "Well, if five states have approved it, let's wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/would-you-like-fox-s-right-to-free-press-put-up-to-a-vote-and-say/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) > [Well, she managed to - Barbara was capable of doing practically anything if she set her mind to it. In retrospect, I'm not surprised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-olson/well-she-managed-to-barbara-was-capable-of-doing-practically-anything/) [Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) [Explore all 19 Ted Olson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-olson/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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