America

Quotations about America

Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about America

As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.

Here are some funny and poignant quotations about America. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)

If you are looking to make a fuller speech about America, then below this selection of quotations are three funny themes and three serious themes on the topic of America that might help trigger some ideas for your speech or text.

"America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between." Oscar Wilde (playwright, 1854-1900)

"America's health care system is neither healthy, caring, nor a system." Walter Cronkite (broadcast journalist, 1916-2009)

"I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." James Baldwin (American novelist, 1924-87)

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America." William J. Clinton (US President, 1946-)

"A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election." Bill Vaughan (American columnist, 1915-77)

"America is a country of inventors, and the greatest of inventors are the newspaper men." Alexander Graham Bell (scientist and inventor, 1847-1922)

"California is a fine place to live, if you happen to be an orange." Fred Allen (American humorist, 1894-1956)

"Our bombs are incredibly smart. In fact, our bombs are better educated than the average high-school graduate. At least they can find Kuwait." A. Whitney Brown 1952- American comedian

"I had forgotten just how flat and empty [middle America] is. Stand on two phone books almost anywhere in Iowa and you get a view." Bill Bryson (American travel writer, 1951-)

"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I'm beginning to believe it." Clarence Darrow (American lawyer, 1857-1938)

"The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children." Edward VIII (British king, 1894-1972)

I could come back to America ... to die, but never, never to live." Henry James (American novelist, 1843-1916)

"The continental United States slopes gently from east to west, with the result that everything with a screw loose rolls into California." John Naughton (Irish academic, 1946-)

"Wherever there is suffering, injustice, and oppression, the Americans will show up, six months late, and bomb the country next to where it's happening." P. J. O'Rourke (American writer, 1947-)

"In the United States there is more space where nobody is than where anybody is. That is what makes America what it is." Gertrude Stein (American writer, 1874-1946)

"In America any boy may become President, and I suppose it's just one of the risks he takes!" Adlai Stevenson (American Democratic politician, 1900-65)

"The land of the dull and the home of the literal." Gore Vidal (American writer, 1925-2012)

Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on America

Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to America. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.

Funny Themes:

American Stereotypes: Fact or Fiction?
- Share humorous stories and observations about common American stereotypes, and playfully explore which ones have a grain of truth.
The Great American Road Trip: Misadventures on the Open Road
- Highlight the funny and sometimes absurd experiences people have while road-tripping across America, from quirky roadside attractions to unexpected detours.
Political Satire: Laughing at American Politics
- Explore the humorous side of American politics through satire, including memorable moments, gaffes, and the colorful personalities involved.

Serious Themes:

The American Dream: Reality and Aspirations
- Discuss the concept of the American Dream, its evolution over time, and its impact on the aspirations and realities of people living in America today.
Social Justice and Equality in America
- Address the ongoing struggles and progress in the fight for social justice and equality, focusing on key movements and legislative milestones.
The Role of America in Global Politics
- Explore America's influence in global politics, its responsibilities, and its relationships with other nations in the context of current international issues.

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