Being gay isn't something you choose, but you do face choices about whether and how to discuss it. Pete Buttigieg More Quotes by Pete Buttigieg More Quotes From Pete Buttigieg Greatness will come by looking forward - untethered from the politics of the past and anchored by our shared values - and by changing our nation's future. Pete Buttigieg looking future politics past The Electoral College needs to go, because it's made our society less and less democratic. Pete Buttigieg go electoral-college society college Safety and security are the most basic job of government. I understand that - both as a mayor who works every day to secure public safety and reduce crime, and also as someone who deployed in uniform to Afghanistan because I believed joining the military was part of my duty to help keep my country safe. Pete Buttigieg job day understand government There's this romantic idea that's built up around war. But the pragmatic view is there are tons of people of my generation who have lost their lives, lost their marriages, or lost their health as a consequence of being sent to wars which could have been avoided. Pete Buttigieg health romantic war people Like anyone who follows politics, I am sometimes mesmerized by the twisted and relentless drama playing out in Washington. But I also know about the price of distraction - the consequences of our attention being diverted from how politics affects daily life. Pete Buttigieg daily i-am politics life I don't have to go on a tour to find out what's happening in middle America. I just go to Target. Pete Buttigieg find go target america I am not skilled enough or energetic enough to craft a persona. I just have to be who I am and hope people like it. Pete Buttigieg i-am enough hope people When I think about where most of Scripture points me, it is toward defending the poor, and the immigrant, and the stranger, and the prisoner, and the outcast, and those who are left behind by the way society works. Pete Buttigieg think me society way Systemic racism is something that diminishes all of us. Of course its worst effects are for its victims, but our entire country is held back through the inequality and the mistrust that it creates. Pete Buttigieg back inequality racism country I am a Democrat because I believe in protecting freedom, fairness, families, and the future. Pete Buttigieg i-am future freedom believe 'Freedom' means a lot to conservatives, but they have such a narrow sense of what it means. They think a lot about freedom from - freedom from government, freedom from regulation - and precious little about freedom to. Freedom to is absolutely something that has to be safeguarded by good government, just as it could be impaired by bad government. Pete Buttigieg good think freedom government I'm not sure anything makes you an outright good person or bad person - that we're all capable of doing good or bad things. And if you want to know how much good you can do, and how much hurt you can do, just ask somebody you love. Pete Buttigieg good you hurt love I don't have a problem with enhanced border security, perhaps to include fencing. I think the mistake is believing that border security is as simple as just putting up a wall from sea to shining sea. Pete Buttigieg think simple sea mistake Building a wall won't solve our border security challenges. Pete Buttigieg border security building challenges The greatest nation in the world should not have much to fear from a family, especially children, fleeing violence. More importantly, children fleeing violence ought to have nothing to fear from the greatest country in the world. Pete Buttigieg family fear children world So much of what Christ's teachings are about have to do with the way that we take care of the least among us. Pete Buttigieg us take-care care way You're not free if you can't start a small business because you fear losing your health care, and you're certainly not free if a male boss or politician prevents you from making decisions about your own reproductive health. Pete Buttigieg you health business fear The world is changing, but it is not changing on its own. Pete Buttigieg changing own world I've always been terrible at land navigation. Pete Buttigieg been always terrible land In local government, it's very clear to your customers - your citizens - whether or not you're delivering. Either that pothole gets filled in, or it doesn't. The results are very much on display, and that creates a very healthy pressure to innovate. Pete Buttigieg your you government pressure