"We cannot defend America if we do not know who is coming and going."
This quote emphasizes the importance of border control and immigration policies for national security. It suggests that having knowledge about who is entering and exiting a country (in this case, America) is crucial to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. In other words, understanding the identity and intentions of individuals passing through borders can help prevent threats from potential adversaries or criminals, thereby protecting the nation as a whole.
"Terrorists and criminals don't stop at the water's edge."
This quote emphasizes that threats, particularly those posed by terrorism and criminal activity, are not confined to geographical boundaries or territories. They can extend beyond national borders, making it crucial for countries around the world to collaborate in addressing these issues effectively and comprehensively. The implication is that a strong, united, and cooperative global approach is essential to maintain security and prevent harm.
"Security is our priority, but so is freedom of religion and belief."
This quote by Jeh Johnson emphasizes a balanced approach to national security that prioritizes both physical safety and the protection of religious freedoms. It suggests that while maintaining a secure environment is crucial, it should never come at the expense of individual's freedom to practice their religion or believe in what they choose, which are also fundamental human rights. Essentially, Johnson advocates for a security strategy that respects and upholds both these essential principles.
"Cybersecurity is our new nuclear weapons."
This quote by Jeh Johnson emphasizes the critical importance of cybersecurity in today's digital age, where data and information have become as valuable as traditional forms of power such as nuclear weapons. Just as nuclear weapons can cause widespread destruction on a global scale, a successful cyberattack can inflict severe damage, disrupt critical infrastructure, compromise sensitive information, and potentially impact nations on a large scale. Hence, securing our cyberspace is a strategic imperative to protect national security, economic stability, and individual privacy.
"Our borders are not rivers; they are lines on a map."
This quote by Jeh Johnson emphasizes the abstract nature of international borders, which are merely lines drawn on maps, rather than natural barriers like rivers. It suggests that while these lines represent political divisions between countries, they do not inherently define the limits of human interaction or shared interests across those boundaries. In essence, Johnson is reminding us that geographical borders should not be seen as insurmountable obstacles but rather as constructs to be navigated and understood in a globalized world.
No level of border security, no wall, doubling the size of the border patrol, all these things will not stop the illegal migration from countries as long as a 7-year-old is desperate enough to flee on her own and travel the entire length of Mexico because of the poverty and the violence in her country.
- Jeh Johnson
Those of us in public office and those of us who aspire to public office have a responsibility to be reasonable, fact-based, in our rhetoric and to not suggest things that are unreasonable, to whip up a lot of emotion in public, which can lead to government overreach, fear, suspicions, and prejudice.
- Jeh Johnson
Overly simplistic suggestions that we ban people from entering this country, based on religion, or ban people from an entire region of the world is counterproductive. It will not work. We need to build bridges to communities, to American-Muslim communities right now, to encourage them to help us in our homeland security efforts.
- Jeh Johnson
In my view, targeted lethal force is at its least controversial when it is on its strongest, most traditional legal foundation. The essential mission of the U.S. military is to capture or kill an enemy. Armies have been doing this for thousands of years. As part of a congressionally authorized armed conflict, the foundation is even stronger.
- Jeh Johnson
What got me motivated was my dad's idea that I go to Morehouse College in Atlanta. It's an all-black, all-male school. Martin Luther King went there. The most famous person in my class was Spike Lee. And I really caught fire. I was so inspired by the people around me that I went from C's and D's to straight A's by the time I left.
- Jeh Johnson
ISIL, AQ, now have the ability to literally reach into our homeland through social media, through the Internet, to recruit and inspire. It makes for a more complicated homeland security environment. And so it requires a whole of government approach, not just military and law enforcement, homeland security, aviation security, and the like.
- Jeh Johnson
Most victims of ISIL are, in fact, Muslims. So it seems to me that to refer to ISIL as occupying any part of the Islamic theology is playing on a - a battlefield that they would like us to be on. I think that to call them - to call them some form of Islam gives the group more dignity than it deserves, frankly.
- Jeh Johnson
Immigration is the most difficult issue I've ever dealt with, and I've dealt with some tough issues: drones, gays in the military, WikiLeaks, Guantanamo. But immigration is hardest because there are so few people willing to talk and build consensus. Everybody's firmly made up their mind. It's a polarized issue.
- Jeh Johnson
Yes, it is frustrating to listen to those who foment fear, suspicion and intolerance, who don't know the mistakes of history, and are in the midst of repeating them. Have faith that the character of the American people as a whole is such that, in the end, we will choose not to drink this brand of soiled milk.
- Jeh Johnson
There are many examples in our history of overheated rhetoric leading to fear and prejudice and government overreach. My own grandfather, a sociologist, was dragged in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He said he wasn't a Communist and explained that American Negroes were patriots like everyone else.
- Jeh Johnson
We continually evaluate the world situation, and we not infrequently make changes to aviation security. We either step it up or we feel sometimes we're in a position to dial it back, and so this is something that happens periodically, and people should not overreact to it or over-speculate about what's going on.
- Jeh Johnson
The nature of Homeland Security is that no news is good news. And no news sometimes means somebody got interdicted at the border, somebody got interdicted before they could get on an airplane, somebody was arrested providing material support to terrorism. Homeland Security means very often something you never hear about.
- Jeh Johnson
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