JESSE VENTURA

Patriotism is voluntary. It is a feeling of loyalty and allegiance that is the result of knowledge and belief. A patriot shows their their patriotism through their actions, by their choice.

For every day the government is shut down, it should be that we don't have to pay income tax that day because they're not working.

After Barack Obama won the 2008 presidential election, I was heartened to see him issue an Open Government Initiative on his first full day in office.

You can't put civil rights on the ballot.

Barack Obama's large contributor was Goldman Sachs - same thing on the Republican side. If you go to both their conventions, you see the same lobbyists paying off both sides so they win either way.

I follow the teachings of Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, United States Marine Corps. He won two Congressional Medals of Honor, and he wrote the highly controversial antiwar book 'War is a Racket.'

I believe to go along to get along is unpatriotic. I believe that agreeing with your government on everything they do is unpatriotic. I believe a patriot stands up and holds your government's feet to the fire. Because if you do that, you will get good government.

I believe that the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin are two of the greatest rock bands ever!

If you start studying history closer, you'll find that most all wars are based on false flag operations to get people - to convince the people that they're under attack in some way so that they will support the wars.

I don't want to spend the rest of my life in politics. When I'm finished with my term as governor, I'm going back to the life that's waiting for me in the private sector.

If waterboarding's OK, why don't we let our police do it to suspects so we can learn what they know? We only seem to waterboard Muslims... Have we waterboarded anyone else?

Mexico has strict gun control. You cannot own a gun in Mexico.

I decided to run for governor because I got mad... I want to make government more directly accountable to the people.

You don't need lawyers making laws. Regular citizens can make laws. Let the lawyers work under the laws.

I'm saying 9/11 was to get us into Iraq and get us into Afghanistan.

Let's remember, the CIA's job is to go out and create wars.

Health insurance should be a given for every citizen.

I think a person who is disabled should be disabled by no act of their own. If you become disabled because of alcoholism, drugs, or things of that nature, I do not think those conditions qualify someone to be called disabled. I think those conditions result from personal decisions.

Our military doesn't defend our American people. Our military is the strong-arm muscle of corporations.

I'm not allowed on FOX, and I'm not allowed on MSNBC.

The thing is, and Americans are starting to realize this now, that while street gangs are violent, the Democrats and Republicans are worse. They are worse because their decisions affect your life.

I believe in the America people's ability to govern themselves. If government would just get out of the way and allow them to lead their lives as they choose, they will succeed.

It seems that elections today are more popularity than they are substantial issues.

There is no right religion, and no one can prove that there is.

I could never be a career politician, because I believe in telling the truth.