Douglas Wilder Quotes

If you make the choice to serve the public, public service, then serve the public, not yourself.

If you accept the privilege of public service, you had better understand the responsibilities of public service.

If they think its such a sacrifice to go into public service, then they should stay the heck out.

It is the essence of responsibility to put the public good ahead of personal gain.

I'm bothered when people don't understand that they have an obligation to use their best measure of devotion, of resources, to sacrifice for the common good.

I believe very, very strongly that when you serve, you serve the entire state.

I'd always step up to the mark to serve the people of the country.

My whole life has been dedicated to public service.

My main ambition is to be of use to my country and my people.

We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense.

Never mind your happiness; do your duty.

We want to bring back to Washington people who are more interested in public service than they are in private gain.

No personal consideration should stand in the way of performing a public duty.

We are here to serve our citizens and not our ambitions.

Public Service was never meant to be an easy living.

I promise you that during my life, I was more concerned about not letting people down, about doing my part, than I was ever into what it did for me.

We have given up office, but not our responsibility to serve the nation. We have lost an election, but not our determination.

When you are in politics, and you are a genuine person who genuinely cares, then everything comes second.

People want to believe that you're going to wake up each day and fight to make their lives better.

It is a privilege to serve people, a privilege that must be earned, and once earned, there is an obligation to do something good with it.

Your sense of responsibility to others can never be excessive.

The price of greatness is responsibility.

What I'm guilty of is trying the hardest and giving 100 percent of myself and putting my heart and soul into representing the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn.

I am not keen just for the position; I'm keen to help and to serve. If I can really avoid any bad things on my country, I will not hesitate one second.

You get an opportunity to do something for your country, you better get out and do it.