Quotes by Public Servants

As a young surgeon in training at the University of California San Francisco General Hospital in the early '80s, my colleagues and I were inundated with an epidemic of young men with fevers, rashes, swollen lymph nodes and eventually death. Richard Carmona
Death Training Surgeon Men Young Francisco Colleagues Inundated General Hospital California Were San San Francisco Young Men Epidemic Eventually Swollen Early University University Of California
A grateful world, nation and cadre of surgeons general who followed in his shadow are forever indebted to Surgeon General Koop's wisdom, fortitude, integrity and selfless service. Richard Carmona
Service Wisdom Integrity Grateful World Surgeon Nation Indebted Followed Shadow General Cadre His Selfless Forever Fortitude Who
Lucy Mercedes Martinez, my mother, was probably my first mentor. She really tried to take care of me in spite of myself, and in spite of her own struggles with alcohol. She was an immigrant who had never finished school. But she was also a Renaissance woman who read voraciously. She spoke several languages. Richard Carmona
Myself Me Woman School Mother Care Finished First Own Alcohol Several Immigrant Tried Struggles Mentor Spite Mercedes Take Never Had Take Care Spoke Renaissance Also She Read Really Languages Who Lucy Her
While my mother tried to stem my truancy, it would be a complete stranger - an Army Officer in the Special Forces home on leave - who would be the mentor to drive home my mother's goal of getting me educated. His name was Saul Hassan. Richard Carmona
Home Me Army Mother Drive Complete Would Would-Be Tried Mentor Stem Name Forces Leave Educated His Goal Officer Getting While Stranger Special Who Special Forces Saul
I got into medical school at the University of California in San Francisco and did well. A lot of smart kids in medical school, and believe me, I wasn't not nearly the smartest one, but I was the most focused and the happiest kid in medical school. In 1979, I graduated as the valedictorian and was honored with the Gold Cane Award. Richard Carmona
Me School Smart Believe Honored Francisco Kid Kids Focused Smartest Most California Well Got Lot Did Graduated Gold Cane San San Francisco Happiest Award Medical Nearly Medical School University University Of California
I've had opportunities before to run for office - the Republicans recruited me when I was surgeon general, to run for Congress, to run against Gov. Napolitano. But I didn't feel it was my calling... I felt, 'Well, I'm flattered, but I really would rather stay and be the doctor of the nation and stay as surgeon general.' Richard Carmona
Me Doctor Opportunities Surgeon Nation Before Congress Run Would Stay General Rather Had Feel Well Calling Felt Office Flattered Against Republicans Really
When I came home after my statutory term as surgeon general, I just resumed my life here in southern Arizona. Teaching at the university; my law enforcement career. Sitting on some boards. All the things I did before. Richard Carmona
Life Home Law Surgeon My Life Before Statutory Some Law Enforcement General Resumed Arizona Term Came Southern Did Sitting Just After Boards Enforcement Teaching Things Here Career University
Whenever I've had to make a major decision as a doctor, cop or for a company I've worked for, I ask myself: What is the value proposition here? Will my decision bring added value to the population I have the privilege to serve? Richard Carmona
Myself Doctor Decision Will Value Added Had Proposition Major Make Privilege Whenever Ask Worked Company Population Serve Cop Bring Here
Before 9/11, absolutely, there were concerns about terrorism; but the world fundamentally changed. Richard Fadden
Terrorism World Before Changed About Absolutely Concerns Were Fundamentally
The North Koreas of the world are trying very hard to acquire the material they need to acquire nuclear weapons, as is the case with Iran. Richard Fadden
World Weapons Case Material Iran Very North Trying Acquire Hard Nuclear Nuclear Weapons Need
Diplomacy is like jazz: endless variations on a theme. Richard Holbrooke
Diplomacy Jazz Variations Like Endless Theme
I think history is continuous. It doesn't begin or end on Pearl Harbor Day or the day Lyndon Johnson withdraws from the presidency or on 9/11. You have to learn from the past but not be imprisoned by it. You need to take counsel of history but never be imprisoned by it. Richard Holbrooke
Day History You Past Think Presidency Lyndon Lyndon Johnson Johnson Counsel Take Never Learn Continuous End Begin Imprisoned Harbor Pearl Pearl Harbor Need
Nothing generates more heat in the government than the question of who is chosen to participate in important meetings. Richard Holbrooke
Government Important Nothing Meetings More Participate Question Than Heat Who Chosen
I think Americans understand that in Afghanistan, unlike in Iraq and Vietnam, we are fighting an enemy allied with the people who attacked us on 9/11. Richard Holbrooke
People Enemy Fighting Think Unlike Allied Attacked Understand Iraq American Afghanistan Us Vietnam Who
I'm a product of the Kennedy era. Kennedy's Inaugural plus the accident of Dean Rusk brought me into the government. Those were my values. Richard Holbrooke
Government Me Values Accident Those Plus Brought Dean Era Were Product Kennedy
The World War II generation believed the United States could do anything - anything... And Vietnam was a shattering experience for everyone. Richard Holbrooke
War Generation Experience World Everyone States Could Shattering Anything Vietnam United Believed United States World War World War II
I still believe in the possibility of the United States, with all its will and all its strength, and I don't just mean military, persevering against any challenge. I still believe in that. Richard Holbrooke
Strength Challenge Will Military Believe States Possibility Still Persevering Any Just Against Mean United United States
By the way, if you do your job on behalf of your country, you have meetings where you put your position forward strongly, and the other side does the same thing. And I've had plenty of meetings in my career that really were heated, people yelling at each other. Richard Holbrooke
You People Job Country Same Thing Other Side Meetings Way Plenty Strongly Had Put Does Were Yelling Behalf Same Heated Where Really Your Forward Each Thing Career Position
If a country denies it has AIDS, that country will inevitably become an even greater victim. Richard Holbrooke
Will Country Become Victim AIDS Greater Inevitably Denies Even
The male elites that run most countries are exceedingly uncomfortable with the subject of AIDS because it's a sexually transmitted disease. Richard Holbrooke
AIDS Run Sexually Exceedingly Uncomfortable Countries Most Because Male Subject Disease Transmitted Elites
You will never catch up with the spread of AIDS no matter how much money, no matter how many antiretrovirals are put into the system, unless you stop its growth. And the only way to stop its growth is prevention. Richard Holbrooke
You Money Matter Will AIDS Unless Way System Only Prevention Never Put Catch How Spread How Much How Much Money Up Stop Much Many Growth
United Nations peacekeepers are going all over the world spreading AIDS even while they're trying to bring peace. What a supreme irony. Richard Holbrooke
Peace World United Nations AIDS Over Supreme Spreading Trying Irony Going Nations While Even United Bring
Pakistani politics is complicated, and I think it's not something a foreigner can easily assimilate and understand. Richard Holbrooke
Politics Complicated Think Easily Something Understand Foreigner Pakistani Assimilate
There are certain kinds of second-tier confrontations which the U.S. does not need to get directly involved in. However, even in the second tier of problems, our intervention as a friend to both sides is important. Richard Holbrooke
Problems Important Intervention Our Sides Kinds Directly Both Both Sides Involved Does However Friend Get Which Confrontation Certain Even Second Need
Dictatorships start wars because they need external enemies to exert internal control over their own people. Richard Perle
People Enemies Own Control Over Because Exert Dictatorships Internal Wars Start External Need
No operational commander should have to assign a soldier a task that could be done as well by a computer, a remote sensor, or an unmanned airplane. Richard Perle
Soldier Airplane Could Computer Remote Well Operational Commander Task Done Should Assign
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