Robert Kennedy Quotes

I'm pleased that some economists and sociologists are beginning to talk about, for example, alternative measures of human well-being - alternative, that is, to GDP, on which the world runs.

The Gross National Product - if we judge the United States of America by that - that Gross National Product counts air pollution and cigarette advertising, and ambulances to clear our highways of carnage. It counts special locks for our doors and the jails for the people who break them. It counts the destruction of the redwood and the loss of our natural wonder in chaotic sprawl. It counts napalm and counts nuclear warheads and armored cars for the police to fight the riots in our cities… Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our wit nor our courage, neither our wisdom nor our learning, neither our compassion nor our devotion to our country, it measures everything in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.

In this great country of ours, it is inexcusable that so many children grow up in poverty and despair. The well-being of our children must be the national priority and the responsibility of every individual.

Nothing is more important in our national life than the welfare of our children.

I care about the children of Detroit.

The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income as defined by the GDP.

How great it would be for us all to have the pride of knowing that we, as a country, are one of the best countries to be a child.

While we have put an utmost emphasis on Gross Domestic Products (GDP) as a barometer for the overall economy until now, we have not paid much attention in detecting a level of social welfare. We, as a member of the society, must now take steps to create an index to indicate other critical elements to be focused on in order to restore reliability of world statistics.

The charities closest to my heart have always involved helping children in some way.

Children are a quality of life ... when our children are happy, then we are better as human beings.

By 1990, no Australian child will be living in poverty.

Whenever I hear anything described as a heartless assault on our children, I tend to think it’s a good idea.

Man does not live by GNP alone.

As the twentieth century draws to a close it has become obvious that material yardsticks alone cannot serve as an adequate measure of human well-being. Even as basic an issue as poverty has to be re-examined to take into account the psychological sense of deprivation that makes people feel poor.

Save the child and you save the nation.

Girls are the future mothers of our society, and it is important that we focus on their well-being. The well-being and welfare of children should always be our focus.

To really know what progress we’re making for children, we have to know how many children we have to begin with. The simple act of counting is an expression of a country’s intent to take care of its people.

The rearing of children is considered too important to be left to the individual and should be the responsibility of the state.

Like most parents in the US, they are trying, with a little help from UNICEF, to do the best they can to help their children reach their full potential.

The true character of a society is revealed in how it treats its children.

Each and every child in this country is valuable because they are our future as a society. We cannot afford to lose a single child to ill-health, under-education, abuse, addiction, jail, or gun violence. America's highest goal should be for every child to grow up to be a successful young adult -- healthy, educated, free, secure, and a good citizen.

The Children's Hospital will be a credible demonstration of the commitment of African leaders to place the rights of children at the forefront. Nothing less would be enough.

Giving every child a chance to reach their full potential is the best work anyone can do

I have always admired organizations that help children grow and learn, and organizations that protect and shelter children when no one else does. And I wanted to draw attention to these organizations and recognize the contributions they were making to the country and to our children in particular.

The legacy I want to leave is a child-care system that says that no kid is going to be left alone or left unsafe.