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" I was so inspired by Dr. King that in 1956, with some of my brothers and sisters and first cousins - I was only 16 years old - we went down to the public library trying to check out some books, and we were told by the librarian that the library was for whites only and not for colors. It was a public library. "

John Lewis

Trying

Old

Library

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" Following the teaching of Gandhi and Thoreau, Dr. King, it set me on a path. And I never looked back. "

John Lewis

Path

Never

" I do not agree with what Mr. Snowden did. He has damaged American international relations and compromised our national security. He leaked classified information and may have jeopardized human lives. That must be condemned. "

" The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have. "

" I travel all the time, but when I come back to the South, I see such progress. In a real sense, a great deal of the South has been redeemed. People feel freer, more complete, more whole, because of what happened in the movement. "

" There's nothing wrong with a little agitation for what's right or what's fair. "

" I studied the philosophy and the discipline of non-violence in Nashville as a student. And I staged a sitting-in in the fall of 1959 and got arrested the first time in February 1960. "

" Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. "

" A few days after Bloody Sunday, there was demonstration in more than 80 American cities. People were demanding that the government act. "

" Many young people, many children, are being abused, being put down, being bullied because of their sexual orientation. "

" There may be some difficulties, some interruptions, but as a nation and as a people, we are going to build a truly multiracial, democratic society that maybe can emerge as a model for the rest of the world. "

" My mother and father and many of my relatives had been sharecroppers. "

" If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take the long hard look and just believe that if you're consistent, you will succeed. "

" In 1965, the attempted march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7 was planned to dramatize to the state of Alabama and to the nation that people of color wanted to register to vote. "

" Selma was the turning point. "

" I believe that you see something that you want to get done, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in. "

" Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process. "

" You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way... to get in the way. "

" We need comprehensive immigration reform. Dr. King wouldn't be pleased at all to know that there are millions of people living in the shadow, living in fear in places like Georgia and Alabama. "

" When I was 15 years old in 1955, I heard of Rosa Parks. I heard the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. on our radio. "

" I am very, very hopeful about the American South - I believe that we will lead America to what Dr. King called 'the beloved community.' "

" You have to be persistent. "

John Lewis

Persistent

You

" We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jails over and over again. And then you holler, 'Be patient.' How long can we be patient? "

" I remember back in the 1960s - late '50s, really - reading a comic book called 'Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Story.' Fourteen pages. It sold for 10 cents. And this little book inspired me to attend non-violence workshops, to study about Gandhi, about Thoreau, to study Martin Luther King, Jr., to study civil disobedience. "

" We need someone who is going to stand up, speak up, and speak out for the people who need help, for the people who have been discriminated against. "

" Selma helped make it possible for hundreds and thousands of people in the South to become registered voters and encouraged people all across America to become participants in a democratic process. "

" We must bring the issue of mental illness out into the sunlight, out of the shadow, out of the closet, deal with it, treat people, have centers where people can get the necessary help. "

" Too many of us still believe our differences define us. "

" When growing up, I saw segregation. I saw racial discrimination. I saw those signs that said white men, colored men. White women, colored women. White waiting. And I didn't like it. "

" When I was a student, I studied philosophy and religion. I talked about being patient. Some people say I was too hopeful, too optimistic, but you have to be optimistic just in keeping with the philosophy of non-violence. "

" The vote controls everything that you do. "