In a democracy, the one thing that cannot be done is to destroy its trust, its hope, its idealism.
— Teresa Heinz
I have a very personal feeling about how special America is, and I know how precious freedom is. It is a sacred gift, sanctified by those who have lived it and those who have died defending it. My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called 'opinionated,' is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish.
I couldn't not be who I am. That bubble eventually bursts down the road. So you just have to be real, and when you goof up, say you goofed up.
I'm an African American.
I think people should be who they are. If someone is a great mother, or a great personal friend to their friends and just a loving person, that's all they should be, if that's what they want to be, 'cause it's genuine.
Love is a big thing - it's part of who you become, how you grow up. I had a wonderful husband, and I'm very lucky I have a second wonderful husband. You know, some people don't even score the first time.
I've always worked on bipartisans, whether it's on healthcare, drug reform, et cetera. All my work is bipartisan, because what I'm - as nonpartisan actually, because I look for solutions. I'm very practical.
I think a man and a woman, on a whole array of issues, including raising children, have differences, and then you work them through.
I was always impressed by Betty Ford and what she went through and how full of integrity she was, and how brave. I think Mrs. Reagan was a role model of my mother's generation, intelligent, very supportive of her husband. I am very different from my mom, but I admired her devotion.
I am very concerned about junk food in the schools.
John will never send a boy or girl in a uniform anywhere in the world because of our need and greed for oil.
At the end of the day, no one asks a woman, 'Do you need a neck rub? Do you need a drink, honey?'
There is a value in taking a stand whether or not anybody may be noticing it and whether or not it is a risky thing to do.
I may be a good Catholic, a bad Catholic or a so-so Catholic, but that's who I am.
I'm the wife. I'm the mom. I'm the friend. And, you know, my friends call me 'Mama T,' or 'Dr. T,' and that's, guess, what I am - the Mama T and the Dr. T. That's who I am.
As someone who has been both a full-time mom and full-time in work force, I know we all have valuable experiences that shape who we are.
My only self-confidence and satisfaction comes from the people that I do meet; I have fondness for people. I mean, I like to hug. And I also like to be hugged.
I am the product of living in dictatorships. And someone who's lived in dictatorships and not being allowed to be themselves, it cherishes the ability to be yourself and to have feelings and to speak them when asked. And I am that person.
I grew up in a dictatorship in East Africa.
I like to bring people together so we don't waste opportunities and resources and keep doing the wrong things when we know better. Corporate America makes great things and things that can hurt us. They have to be part of the solutions. There's nothing to say you don't make a profit by doing good.
I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good. But I don't know that she's ever had a real job - I mean, since she's been grown up.
If you want to be loved by everyone, don't go into politics.
To me, one of the best faces America has ever projected is the face of a Peace Corps volunteer. That face symbolizes this country: young, curious, brimming with idealism and hope - and a real, honest compassion.
As a young woman, I attended Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, which was then not segregated. But I witnessed the weight of apartheid everywhere around me.
My roots are African. The birds I remember, the fruits I ate, the trees I climbed, they're African.
I always think that women are the chaos managers of life.
I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good.
I fight, and have fought, for political freedom, for justice and for fairness and freedom of speech.
I am always who I am, and anyone who's known me forever will tell you that. I guess there's enough of a child in me that that's important.
When you're threatened, or something hard hits you, acknowledge it, embrace it. Don't pretend that you didn't get hurt - hurt, cry, think about it. And then you let it go and try something else.
I never cook from cookbooks.
I mention my age because I find people in this country - women, not men, of course - women are so troubled by their age. There's a culture of youth, and it's a phony culture.
I hope it will come as no surprise that I have something to say.
