Cotton Mather Quotes

I have never had a problem with national service. I am not sure the draft is the way to go about it, but I am positive that you live in a society and you take from this society, which every citizen here does. You owe something back to this country, and that should be paid back in some form of national service.

The more you live the greater your obligations to the public grow.

Pubic business must be done. It will be done one way or another. If wise men refuse it, others will not. If honest men refuse it, others will not.

There are a lot of ways to serve and only one is being president.

Those of us who get a chance, and many of us will, should and will be motivated to serve America well.

How could I remain a spectator while Singapore faces such complex challenges? How could I not step forward when I know I have more to contribute to the country we all worked to build?

Public business … must always be done by somebody…. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not.

Clergymen do well to preach the neglected doctrine that the first duty of a citizen is to consider what he can do for the state and not what the state will do for him.

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

When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.

Commonwealth has a right to the service of its citizens.

We must let our young men know that they owe some responsibility to this country.

I like people in the cities, in the States and in the Nation to ask themselves now and then: 'What can I do for my city?' not 'How much can I get out of my city?' I like people to speak now and then in the same devotion to State and Nation.

The business of serving the American people is a tough, and sometimes thankless task.

We need a new kind of citizenship, so that we can see citizens as themselves earning the rank of patriot because of their involvement in their community affairs....We as a society need to be encouraging people to focus not just on individual wants but on serving the larger community.

Citizen service is the very American idea that we meet our challenges not as isolated individuals but as members of a true community, with all of us working together. Our mission is nothing less than to spark a renewed sense of obligation, a new sense of duty, a new season of service.

This is a great country and requires a good deal of all of us, so I can imagine nothing more important than for all of you to continue to work in public affairs and be interested in them, not only to bring up a family, but also give part of your time to your community, your state, and your country.

Since 9/11, there has been a huge leap in people wanting to get personally involved in public service and international affairs.

I had the opportunity at Duke to start doing things in the community, and it's something I continue to do even 20 years later.

I am confident that I can serve my country without being involved as the president of the country now.

I was raised to believe that we all have a civic duty and a responsibility as Americans to improve our neighborhoods and our nation.

I have a responsibility to devote my energy to my country and my people.

I'm extremely proud of my family's record of public service to Massachusetts and the nation.

We should all spend some time of our life doing service to our country. To me, I would give up a couple of years.

I think I've been a great citizen.