Marc Morial Quotes (38 Quotes)

A great American city is fighting for its life.

We've lost our city. I fear it's potentially like Pompeii.

Because you basically won a close re-election, your first task is to unify the city. And it's done not with words but with actions, by reaching out, to the supporters of your opponent as well as to reassure your own supporters.

For me, I have no political ego in this thing with respect to any other leader and what they might feel is appropriate or necessary in what they're going to try to do... We need everybody on the front lines.

We stand ready to work together, where possible, in helping rebuild not only homes and businesses, but most importantly, lives of those who so desperately need our help.

Turning back the clock is a powerful message, ... These folks don't have to be convinced who to vote for.

It appears that this is, in fact, the worst vehicular collision in the city's history, given the number of injuries,

Money is not our primary aim. Changing the behavior and the practice of the gun industry is.

We must continue to have voting rights in the state, not to politicize this, but they must have a voice in the rebuilding effort in the community from which they have been displaced.

There were polling places in places like Houston, Detroit and other cities...to give Iraqis in the United States the chance to vote in person, not by mail, not by Internet, not by any form of electronic or distant communications. The failure of the state, in this regard, to establish satellite voting outside of Louisiana makes no sense and invites problems, confusion and perhaps even more than that.

This generation of leaders will be judged by how well we handle Katrina.

The Society of American Civil Engineers, someone who's going to come in and say to the public, we've looked at, we've examined, we've reviewed the repairs and we think they're strong enough to withstand the type of hurricane that - that could hit the city this season.

This - the leadership of the mayor is crucial, because it is to the mayor that people will look to provide the vision, the energy, and the sense of confidence in the rebuilding and the recovery.

To outsiders, you are seen as a shining light. You are seen as a beacon.

Katrina has given us an opportunity -- not just to put up new buildings and stronger levees, as we must -- but to put the principles that we have aspired to for so many years into real practice,

We'll rebuild, of course, ... But what made New Orleans is the polyglot, the tapestry, the mosaic, the gumbo. So the French Quarter gets most of the attention, but the Quarter feeds from the arteries of the neighborhoods.

You are demonstrating here in Houston that you are willing to be your brothers and sisters' keepers in a time of need,

Today is a giant step forward, ... The president heard us and responded.

Because Katrina put it out there, no one can play the pretend game anymore that there isn't poverty and inequality in this country. The Millions More Movement - Katrina gives it added significance.

Gore inevitably suffers in contrast. He's been under Clinton's shadow, ... And that's a long, long shadow.

Hurricane Katrina was a wake-up call for the nation to lift many from the depths of poverty. Unfortunately, the initial flurry of concern and attention to poverty and injustice has given way to the status quo of neglect, domestic budget cuts, insensitivity and short-sighted policy priorities.

All Americans are indebted to Rosa Parks for her fearless courage and determination that led to the Montgomery Bus boycotts and the nonviolent mass-action movement for racial justice that transformed America.

We can't close the great divides in this country in a day, just like we can't end poverty in a night. But we're going to start by speaking truth to power. America is not America when millions of our citizens are still viewed as a fraction of a person.

not to point fingers and assign blame. We've got to ensure that this won't happen again -- ensure accountability of all involved.

Back in the 1960s, the 10 or 12 (black) members were all national figures. Now, people will look more to people that are much closer to them and more local. The African-American leadership is much broader and more diverse than it's ever been.

We have to remember that Dr. King was not an idle dreamer. Dr. King was a man of action. If Dr. King were here, he would challenge us and exhort us.

Over time, the ability of the state to be able to continue its obligations under that lease are going to require that the hospitality industry come back strong. Which I think is possible, because the infrastructure of the hospitality industry was not substantially damaged by Katrina. The tough side is that the housing market, which supported the workers that they need, was substantially damaged.

The current elections plan is a formula for problems and disaster. There's a prospect of contested ballots.

I think the important message today is that an ordinary person -- a quiet, humble person -- can ignite a movement,

Rosa Parks was the queen mother of a movement whose single act of heroism sparked the movement for freedom, justice and equality. Her greatest contribution is that she told us a regular person can make a difference.

The murders that took place were not directed at visitors, ... They were not acts of random violence they were acts where the perpetrators and the victims knew each other.

We applaud Tyson for their compassion towards so many who have suffered through the Hurricane Katrina disaster,

The mayor has got to work closely with a wide variety of people, his city council, state legislature, governor, business community, labor community, president and the congress in order to be able to do this.

We want the public to know that there's been unprecedented, multi-agency response to this collision, ... This cooperation was speedy and efficient. And at this point there are no confirmed fatalities.

Technology is permeating every single thing we do... And to the extent that we can better expose our young people to all the different ways that technology can be used, not just for video games or toys, we're planning for the future.

Our civil rights organization cannot support any plan which amounts to a massive, red-lining scheme wrapped around a giant land grab that does not protect Katrina victims' right to return, recover and rebuild.

So the money is critical, but the direction of the money, the proper spending of the money is also something that the mayor has a great role to play.

inevitable city on an impossible site.