Following one of the worst weeks in American democratic history, I definitely thought it was the end. But then, I turned to The West Wing, one of the best shows on TV, and I found 9 quotes that inspired me to keep on fighting for everything I still believe in, even when most of the country doesn't.
1) "Education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don’t need little changes. We need gigantic revolutionary changes. Schools should be palaces. Competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be getting six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge for its citizens, just like national defense. That is my position. I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet," (Sam Seaborn).
2) "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. Do you know why?" (Jed Bartlet). "It's the only thing that ever has," (Will Bailey).
3) "It's not the battles we lose that bother me, it's the ones we don't suit up for," (Toby Ziegler).
4) "We have at our disposal a captive audience of schoolchildren. Some of them don't go to the blackboard or raise their hand 'cause they think they're going to be wrong. I think you should say to these kids, 'You think you get it wrong sometimes, you should come down here and see how the big boys do it.' I think you should tell them you haven't given up hope and that it may turn up, but, in the meantime, you want NASA to put its best people in a room and you want them to start building Galileo 6. Some of them will laugh and most of them won't care but for some, they might honestly see that it's about going to the blackboard and raising your hand. And that's the broader theme," (C.J. Cregg).
5) "Sir, I need you to dig in now. It wasn't a nightmare, you really are the President," (Charlie Young).
6) "I'm not going anywhere, I'm standing up, which is how one speaks in opposition in a civilized world," (Ainsley Hayes).
7) "Look, if you think we're wrong, then I respect that. But if you think we're right and you won't speak up because you can't be bothered, then God, Jed, I don't even want to know you," (Mrs. Landingham).
8) "What do you say about a government that goes out of its way to protect citizens that try to destroy it?" (Josh Lyman). "God bless America," (West Wing Staff).
Bonus: "What's next?"