Amount Quote by William J. Clinton
“When we got organized as a country and we wrote a fairly radical Constitution with a radical Bill of Rights, giving a radical amount of individual freedom to Americans, it was assumed that the Americans who had that freedom would use it responsibly.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Inaugural Address, 1993
The Constitution grants extensive freedoms, assuming citizens will act responsibly with them.
In simple terms: Freedom expects responsible use.
Key Takeaway
Exercise freedom responsibly.
Themes
responsibility
freedom
citizen duty
Mood
reflective
optimistic
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- voting
- public discourse
- community service
- policy making
Key Concepts
political theory
social contract
Questions to Reflect On
- What responsibilities accompany your freedoms?
- How can society encourage responsible behavior?
A Different Perspective
Responsibility varies across individuals.
![“When we got organized as a country, [and] wrote a fairly radical Constitution, with a radical Bill of Rights, giving radical amounts of freedom to Americans, it was assumed that Americans who had that freedom would use it responsibly...When personal freedom is being abused, you have to move to…” quote by William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/20d/william-j-clinton-302_amount_when-we-got-organized-as-a-country-and-w_955905.jpg)
![“We [Democrats] have got to be strong. When we look weak in a time where people feel insecure, we lose. when people feel uncertain, they'd rather have somebody who's strong and wrong than somebody who's weak and right.” quote by William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4af/william-j-clinton-302_democracy_we-democrats-have-got-to-be-strong-when_62306.jpg)
