Chief Joseph Quotes

We can believe as we want, but we should not force our beliefs on others.

I don't dictate to anyone what to believe and what not to. And I don't want that to be dictated to me either.

I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights.

For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

Of strong importance to me is the defense of minority rights, not just racial minorities, but ideological and religious minorities.

Once people who have been deprived of basic freedom taste a little of it, they want all of it.

We must remember that any oppression, any injustice, any hatred, is a wedge designed to attack our civilization.

I have never altered my feelings towards individuals, as men or as women, whether they believe as I do or not. Can you live as neighbors with me? I can with you; and it is no particular concern of mine whether you believe with me or not.

I absolutely believe that people should show respect to everybody, regardless of their lifestyle, regardless of their beliefs, religious beliefs or any other kind of belief.

I believe that all human beings are equal. I believe that no one has the right to authority over anyone else.

There's just so many facets, I think, of the ignorance in our society that have to be corrected if we're really going to have a democratic society and a society that is just and that respects all of the members of this society regardless of who they are, what color they may be, what sexual orientation that they have or what gender, you know, they happen to be.

Dreams from 1991 are becoming reality. We will build good relations between nations and people. We will strive towards mutual respect and equality of every individual, sex, race and national or any other minority.

I believe in, and will to the best of my ability fight for, equal rights and freedom of opinion for everyone, regardless of colour, religion, nationality, orientation - you know the rest.

I have a big passion about civil rights for everyone - whoever is being downtrodden at the moment, it doesn't matter: racial discrimination or sexual orientation or gender. Whatever it is, I'm there. I think I was a born civil rights activist. I can't stand the smashing of a community. It's not fair and it's not right.

I have always striven to raise the voice of hope for a world where hate gives way to respect and oppression to liberation.

And each of us can practice rights ourselves, treating each other without discrimination, respecting each other's dignity and rights.

I stand for anti-bigotry, anti-Semitism, and anti-racism.

The cheeky ideal I am calling for is that Muslims should be viewed as equal citizens, nothing more and nothing less.

This is a free country, and to each their own.

When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.

Democracy means that people can say what they want to. All the people. It means that they can vote as they wish. All the people. It means that they can worship God in any way they feel right, and that includes Christians and Jews and voodoo doctors as well.

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.

Freedom is not enough.

Equality and self-determination should never be divided in the name of religious or ideological fervor.

I like the religion that teaches liberty, equality and fraternity.