When people conclude that all is futile, then the absurd becomes the norm.

In America, we have to learn to be patient enough to figure out what somebody is saying. Somebody might actually be saying something.

Our society has gotten to the point where we might soon become less and less shocked by any kind of violence.

Our democratic richness arrives when we're able to comprehend our collective humanity accurately.

Above all else, [Benny Goodman] was a great player, one of the greatest American music has produced. He brought his absolute talent and his invincible love of music to the fore every time he played. There are many other things connected to society and ethnicity that are often mentioned in a discussion of Benny Goodman but all of them are connected to his overwhelming affection for the art of the music and the fairness it should be allowed to express.

People don't really think other people are the same.

Louis Armstrong, who learned to be in exquisite dress, came from the bottom, and he's not a trash can.