--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe deeply that the first duty of…" description: "\"I believe deeply that the first duty of government is providing for the personal security of its citizens. Therefore I would naturally place the highes..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/william-barr-6563_believe_i-believe-deeply-that-the-first-duty-of_2479770.jpg" --- # I believe deeply that the first duty of government is… ![“I believe deeply that the first duty of government is providing for the personal security of its citizens. Therefore I would naturally place the highest priority on strengthening law enforcement.” quote by William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/william-barr-6563_believe_i-believe-deeply-that-the-first-duty-of_2479770.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/william-barr-6563_believe_i-believe-deeply-that-the-first-duty-of_2479770.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/william-barr-6563_believe_i-believe-deeply-that-the-first-duty-of_2479770.jpg) > “I believe deeply that the first duty of government is providing for the personal security of its citizens. Therefore I would naturally place the highest priority on strengthening law enforcement.” [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that government’s primary role is to ensure citizens’ safety, prioritizing law enforcement resources. **In simple terms:** Government should prioritize citizens’ safety and law enforcement. Key Takeaway Focus on security first. Themes government security law enforcement policy duty Mood serious authoritative concerned Type statement policy political When to use this quote - policy making - public safety planning - law enforcement budgeting - civil liberties debate Key Concepts public safety law enforcement priorities political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How balance security with individual freedoms? - What safeguards prevent abuse of power? A Different Perspective May overlook civil liberties and over‑policing concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law enforcement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-enforcement/) [Personal security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-security/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) ## Related quotes > [Instead of personal security, citizens are afraid to walk down the street in Jerusalem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yair-lapid/instead-of-personal-security-citizens-are-afraid-to-walk-down-the/) [Yair Lapid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yair-lapid/) > [I have long believed that the first duty of government is to protect the safety of our citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/i-have-long-believed-that-the-first-duty-of-government-is-to-protect/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Now our job, our duty, our responsibility to ensure the safety and security of our citizens cannot be complete unless we guarantee health care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-our-job-our-duty-our-responsibility-to-ensure-the-safety-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Only by providing leading-edge human capital and knowledge capital can American continue to maintain a high standard of living, including providing national security for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ralph-augustine/only-by-providing-leading-edge-human-capital-and-knowledge-capital/) [Norman Ralph Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ralph-augustine/) > [As a government, it is our responsibility to maintain security for all citizens in Darfur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-al-bashir/as-a-government-it-is-our-responsibility-to-maintain-security-for-all/) [Omar al-Bashir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-al-bashir/) > [Politicians need to stop picking sides and come up with bold solutions where the safety and security of all citizens become a priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mercedes-schlapp/politicians-need-to-stop-picking-sides-and-come-up-with-bold/) [Mercedes Schlapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mercedes-schlapp/) > [Left to me, the whole purpose of government is for the security of the citizens, like the security of lives and property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibrahim-babangida/left-to-me-the-whole-purpose-of-government-is-for-the-security-of-the/) [Ibrahim Babangida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibrahim-babangida/) > [I learned firsthand just how valuable it is to have law enforcement allies around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/i-learned-firsthand-just-how-valuable-it-is-to-have-law-enforcement/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Law enforcement officers do heroic work every day in this country. 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Fail in this, and we fail in everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-t-murphy/no-more-essential-duty-of-government-exists-than-the-protection-of/) Francis T Murphy > [It's the duty of any government: where there is disregard of the law, that law and order must be instituted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmerson-mnangagwa/it-s-the-duty-of-any-government-where-there-is-disregard-of-the-law/) [Emmerson Mnangagwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmerson-mnangagwa/) ## More by William Barr > [By definition, a Special Counsel is charged with investigating particular potential crimes, not all potential crimes wherever they may be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/by-definition-a-special-counsel-is-charged-with-investigating/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Men are subject to powerful passions and appetites, and, if unrestrained, are capable of ruthlessly riding roughshod over their neighbors and the community at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/men-are-subject-to-powerful-passions-and-appetites-and-if/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [The first Black Migration to this country was forced migration. It was the Middle Passage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/the-first-black-migration-to-this-country-was-forced-migration-it-was/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Established in 2001, the Medal of Valor is our nation's highest public safety award. 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We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/every-medal-of-valor-recipient-has-confronted-life-threatening-danger/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [While the FBI carries out investigative work, the responsibility for supervising, directing and ultimately determining the resolution of investigations is solely the province of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/while-the-fbi-carries-out-investigative-work-the-responsibility-for/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [In a pluralistic society like ours, I think the ability to resist hate comes from cultivating a civil society that, on the one hand,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/in-a-pluralistic-society-like-ours-i-think-the-ability-to-resist-hate/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Everyone dies, and I am not, you know, I don't believe in the Homeric idea that, you know, immortality comes by, you know, having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/everyone-dies-and-i-am-not-you-know-i-don-t-believe-in-the-homeric/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [From my perspective the idea of resisting a democratically elected president and basically throwing everything at him and, you know, really changing the norms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barr/from-my-perspective-the-idea-of-resisting-a-democratically-elected/) [William Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barr/) > [Over time, I think, and with further appointments to the Supreme Court, I think that the Roe v. 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I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. 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