Marion Barry Quotes

People have criticized me because my security detail is larger than the president’s. But you must ask yourself: are there more people who want to kill me than who want to kill the president? I can assure you there are.

I promise you a police car on every sidewalk.

And no offense, but let’s grow our own teachers, let’s grow our own nurses—and so that we don’t have to be scrounging around in our community clinics and other kinds of places—having to hire people from somewhere else.

The contagious people of Washington have stood firm against diversity during this long period of increment weather.

Why should blacks feel elated about seeing men walk on the moon when millions of poor blacks and whites don’t have enough money to buy food to eat on earth?

My personal view is very simple: What happens in your bedroom, it’s up to you. If you want to use gay marriage as an affectionate kind of thing you’re doing, do it.

I like boxing.

The brave men who died in Vietnam, more than 100% of which were black, were the ultimate sacrifice.

I love serving people. I love helping people empower themselves.

People blame me because these water mains break, but I ask you, if the water mains didn’t break, would it be my responsibility to fix them then?

First, it was not a strip bar, it was an erotic club. And second, what can I say? I’m a night owl.

White folks may let you in their country clubs to play golf, invite you out to dinner, take you out to play tennis, but when it comes to dividing up the money, that’s a whole ‘nother story.

There are two kinds of truth. There are real truths, and there are made up truths.

Everybody in life has something that they get knocked down on. The object lesson here is not that you get knocked down – it is that you get up.

If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very low crime rate.

We got to do something about these Asians coming in and opening up business and dirty shops. They ought to go.

The laws in this city are clearly racist. All laws are racist. The law of gravity is racist.

Our neighbors in Virginia are just as responsible for these killings as the criminals are because they won’t pass strong gun [control] legislation.

What right does Congress have to go around making laws just because they deem it necessary?

If you take out the killings, Washington actually has a very very low crime rate.

People blame me because these water mains break, but I ask you, if the water mains didn’t break, would it be my responsibility to fix them then? WOULD IT!?!

In Washington, I have worked hard for the people, and I’ve been loved by the people.

I am a great mayor; I am an upstanding Christian man; I am an intelligent man; I am a deeply educated man; I am a humble man.

This is not a sham, not a game. This is the real stuff.

Jesse ain’t running nothin’ but his mouth.