Welcome to the world of Mike Espy Quotes, where the wisdom and insights of this esteemed figure are showcased for your inspiration and contemplation. Mike Espy, a prominent American politician and attorney, has left an indelible mark on the landscape of public service through his dedication to social justice, civil rights, and equitable governance. With a career spanning decades, Espy’s words resonate with authenticity, experience, and a profound commitment to the betterment of society.
Throughout his illustrious career, Mike Espy has articulated a vision of inclusivity, fairness, and progress that has touched the lives of many. Whether addressing issues of racial equality, economic opportunity, or environmental stewardship, Espy’s quotes encapsulate the essence of his beliefs and principles, serving as guiding beacons for those navigating the complexities of public policy and advocacy. As we delve into the compilation of Mike Espy Quotes, we invite you to explore and reflect upon the timeless wisdom and enduring relevance of his words.
If it’s good for Mississippi, I’ll vote for it. If it comes from the Democratic side, fine. If it’s good for us, I’ll vote for it. But the converse is also true. Mike Espy
Health care is not equal. We have failed our rural hospitals and our rural communities because we can’t guarantee affordable and accessible health care. Mike Espy
I do have a little rhythm. Mike Espy
I will stand up for Mississippi like no one has done before. My voice will resonate most strongly in our struggling communities. Mike Espy
I’m not for single payer. But I’m for continuation of the Affordable Care Act. Mike Espy
I absolutely believe in the right to own and bear arms guaranteed by our forefathers. Mike Espy
I was supposed to go to art school, and my father wanted me to go to law school. Mike Espy
I vehemently oppose clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo op, especially a photo op that makes a mockery of a place of worship and the uses the Bible as a prop. It’s just wrong. Mike Espy
Mississippi is akin to an underdeveloped country. Mike Espy
We have made changes at the USDA in our personnel and in the attitude that we would like to instill in our personnel. Some don’t want to do that and some protest and some target me. Mike Espy
My oldest son played for the NFL, until he got hurt and opened a gym here in Mississippi. He trains young athletes and inspires them to chase their dreams, playing football in college and professionally. Mike Espy
Greater transparency is the easiest and simplest solution to prevent officers who have previously been in trouble from getting new jobs. That’s why we must create a national registry of police misconduct and disciplinary actions. Mike Espy
The violence against unarmed Black people – names we know, and names we don’t know – must end. Mike Espy
You can’t put me in a box. Mike Espy
All meat has germs. Always has and maybe always will. Mike Espy
While we march in the streets making our voices heard, we must also march to the ballot box. That’s where the real change happens. Mike Espy
Unlike most kids from Mississippi, I didn’t grow up hunting… But I understand that freedom to own a firearm – for recreation or self-protection – is a constitutional issue. And when government tries to infringe upon a constitutional right, we must be extremely wary and cautious. Mike Espy
I’m not into moral victories. Mike Espy
I’m someone that wants to reach across the chasm to make sure that we can collaborate with one another by race and by party. Mike Espy
Whether you’re African-American or white, you’re concerned about rural hospitals closing. Mike Espy
A better Mississippi and a better America is in our future – if we fight for it. Mike Espy
Don’t look to me to support urban mass transit. Mike Espy
Medgar Evers is a true Mississippi hero. Mike Espy
I am dedicated to expanding Medicaid in Mississippi. Mike Espy
There are some farmers who have been terribly discriminated against by the USDA. They’ve suffered tremendous losses and pain and anguish, and they deserve to be compensated. Mike Espy
I know Kamala will be a capable, courageous leader for all Americans. Mike Espy
It’s no secret that Mississippians – especially Black Mississippians – are overlooked. We are overlooked by Washington, by the Democratic Party, by the media, by national political prognosticators. Mike Espy
No meat can ever be 100 percent sterile. Mike Espy
You’ve got to know what you need to correct. Mike Espy
People tend to see all black congressmen as liberals with an urban twist: They’re all for gun control and against the death penalty. It’s not true, and it shouldn’t be true. Mike Espy
As a teenager growing up during Jim Crow, all I wanted to do was leave Mississippi. But I came back and raised my own family here. Mike Espy
I really don’t need anyone to come to Mississippi to generate a vote for me. Mike Espy
Washington’s incredible wastefulness of tax dollars is abhorrent to any sense of fairness or rational thinking. Mike Espy
I want to be the health care senator. Mike Espy
My brother-in-law is an African-American cop who patrols a New Orleans suburban community. He speaks to me often of his perilous duty. Mike Espy
Roe versus Wade is the settled law of the land. Mike Espy
I am an African American public official operating in an environment dominated by Caucasians. That is not too dissimilar from what I had to do in Mississippi to get elected and stay elected. I try to show them we are all in this together. Mike Espy
I am a lifelong Mississippian. I remember Jim Crow, ‘colored’ and ‘white’ water fountains, and my mother’s inability to try on a dress in a store because no white woman would buy it if she put it back. Mike Espy
We must do everything possible to protect the lives of everyone and help make sure no one in this country feels unsafe. Mike Espy
I am disappointed my grandchildren are growing up in a country still struggling to change. But it doesn’t have to be this way. They don’t have to live in a country infected with systemic racism. Mike Espy
Democrats don’t win farm country, but I want to change that. Mike Espy
I’m the proud father of three Black children. Mike Espy
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I reached across the aisle to write an economic development bill that addressed poverty in an area stretching from the Mississippi Delta northward all along the Mississippi River – where Americans suffered from low wages, high unemployment, generational poverty, and low educational attainment. Mike Espy
It’s not about the test. It’s about how you pass the test. Mike Espy
As I grew older I began to realize that Mississippi really wasn’t that bad. The basis for progress has always been there. And the opportunity is limitless. Mike Espy
Even though I’m a Democrat, I’m an independent – a small ‘I’ – Democrat, meaning that I’m a Mississippian first. Mike Espy
If you’re on a no-fly list… you probably shouldn’t own a gun without careful vetting. Mike Espy
We have police officers who may devalue the life of Black people. And that’s what we have to change. Mike Espy
The Mississippi of 1920 was an exceptionally dangerous place for Black people. But my grandfather deeply believed in helping create opportunities to African-Americans to lift themselves up to create a better life for their families and doing everything possible to bring his people together. Mike Espy
I’m not for Medicare for all. Mike Espy
After the Civil War, Black Mississippians had economic power, voting rights, and citizenship. They used their majority to elect African-Americans to office up and down the ballot. Mike Espy
I always said I wasn’t guilty of any criminal activity. Mike Espy
I’ve been through the fire and came out stronger and tested. Mike Espy
There’s no way that I could be a congressman in a California district at 32. Mike Espy
We have to try to convince everybody in America, that if you eat you’re involved in agriculture. That the shirts don’t just spring up at Kmart on the rack. They’re made from cotton. Mike Espy
I didn’t give favors to any companies. Mike Espy
I want to be a senator for everyone. I’m trying to get votes from everyone, regardless of race, or age, or gender, or sexual orientation, or disability – or even party. I’m going to Republicans and Democrats talking about the issues that concern them. Mike Espy
We are a state in need of uplift in a ubiquitous way. Mike Espy
If you’re going to get elected to anything in Mississippi, you have to pay attention to and court the black vote. Mike Espy
I think that as a government agency, USDA has a responsibility to reduce the levels of contamination and to mandate a stringent approach to protect public health. Mike Espy
It’s not every day you see a bus with your own face on it. Mike Espy
What we need is a good salesman for Mississippi, someone who can effectively represent our interests. Mike Espy
I’m energized by the Black Lives Matter movement, just as many people are in the nation. Mike Espy
During the 1990s, I served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the nation’s 25th secretary of agriculture. Mike Espy
I’m going to stand up for the good name of Mississippi, just like I did for Mike Espy’s good name. Mike Espy
Demanding accountability for Mississippi’s role in creating an environment that tolerated and bred hateful ideologies and violence is a small, but powerful, step in turning the page on our troubled history. Mike Espy
I want to make the point that, even though we had a troubled experience, we moved on from that. I moved on from that, to become the first Black congressman, a cabinet secretary. I returned to Mississippi, and I’m now running for the U.S. Senate. Mike Espy
Cindy-Hyde Smith is hurting Mississippi – our progress and our reputation – and we simply must replace her. Mike Espy
I’m a frustrated artist. Mike Espy
What better symbol of unity, what better symbol of growth, than to have Mike Espy in the United States Senate. Mike Espy
I believe a woman should have the right to make a decision about her own body. Mike Espy
We have to create a coalition of black voters and white voters all over Mississippi who believe in vision of a more modern Mississippi. Mike Espy
I’m ready to fight for Mississippians in Washington. Mike Espy
I’ve talked to people of every race and occupation. The bottom line is that we’re all the same. Mike Espy
We made mistakes in 2018, as a candidate and as a campaign. I had not campaigned in 25 years, and people forgot me, they forgot my contributions as a congressman, they forgot my contributions as a cabinet secretary. Mike Espy
What happened to George Floyd is an abomination. Four Minneapolis policemen used excessive force to cause his death in what appears to be a tragically cavalier fashion. All four officers involved should be held fully accountable and incarcerated for their crimes. Mike Espy
I have a sense that the USDA and the secretary who represents the USDA has always been seen as either a stranger or adversary to the farming community and a stranger to the consuming community. Mike Espy
It is illegal to ask a foreign power to interfere in a domestic election. Mike Espy
Thomas J. Huddleston never cast a ballot in his lifetime but he found a way to lift Black Mississippians up. And that is a legacy I will carry with me always. Mike Espy
Whether in public office or right here at home, I will never stop fighting for Mississippi. From the Delta to East Mississippi up to Oxford and DeSoto down to the Pine Belt and the Coast. Mike Espy
I was born with chronic asthma, and when I was about five or six years old, one day I had an asthma attack so bad I began to become comatose. Mike Espy
I’m very aware that oftentimes, we speak too much. Mike Espy
We have to do what they did in Alabama, which is a data-centric campaign that identifies black voters that haven’t voted in a while and get them registered and get them out to vote. Mike Espy
Generally, I’d say that the perception is correct that the USDA is too large. It’s in many instances overboard. Mike Espy
The United States has taken pride in maintaining the ‘safest food supply in the world.’ And we can still have it, as long as we remember that America’s bottom line is measured in the health and wellbeing of all of its people. Mike Espy
Kamala has shown time and time again that she is a champion for all Americans. She is tough, principled, and fearless. Mike Espy
President Barack Obama governed with dignity and effectiveness. Mike Espy
I remember integrating the all-white Yazoo City High School after my Black school closed its doors. Teachers sprayed me with fire extinguishers, and I carried a stick to fend off attacks from fellow students. Mike Espy
It’s hard to pick yourself up and go vote for a candidate if you don’t have any sense that that candidate could have an impact on your life. Mike Espy
Too many hardworking people are getting crushed by the rising cost of premiums, copays, and prescription drugs. Mike Espy
We’ve got to replace the statues of Jefferson Davis and JZ George in the U.S. Capitol, and the people of Mississippi ought to have a say in it. Mike Espy
The DNC says they want minorities to run for office but when they actually do, we don’t get the support that we need and deserve. Mike Espy
I will be a strong voice for Mississippi, and not an echo. Mike Espy
As Secretary of Agriculture under President Clinton, I led the effort to bring running water to every American home. Mike Espy
In a raw political sense, I want to win farm country for Bill Clinton. Mike Espy
We shouldn’t try to turn policemen into social workers, but they should at least understand that not all offenders belong in jail. Mike Espy
Just because red meat has germs doesn’t necessarily mean that it will make you sick. Mike Espy
Mississippi is not California, Mississippi is not Massachusetts, and Kamala knows that. If I’m lucky enough and blessed to be a member of the U.S. Senate, we may not always vote similarly. She knows that, and I know that as well. Mike Espy
