I am a-goin' for to tell you here to-day; yes, I'm a-goin for to tell you all, that I'm a plebian! I glory in it; I am a plebian! The people - yes, the people of the United States have made me what I am; and I am a-goin' for to tell you here to-day - yes, to-day, in this place - that the people are everything.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker celebrates their humble origins and declares that the people are everything.
- In plain terms
- I am from the common people and I value them above all.
- What can you take from it?
- Value the common people and your origins.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who defines you?
- What is the value of the people?
Another view
Pride in origins can be politically selective.
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