[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fSOYfzhxPYRbJ5HpfM8UcYGH9akvkVRP1SNYoCIzu1IQ":3,"$fpKxNs-iQTwoEFfCqjhkieFJ_3g52k_EM9sNvUK5Egh0":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},44520,"Keith Ellison","K",101,null,"keith-ellison",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},615,"politics",6,{"quotes":17,"pagination":81},[18,26,32,38,44,50,56,62,68,74],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":23,"source":24,"quote_tag":25,"commentary":9},3770692,"The truth is that we have got to make America work for working people again.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":27,"quote_text":28,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":29,"source":30,"quote_tag":31,"commentary":9},3770688,"How are we all going to pitch in to fix this party to make working America know that the Democratic party is absolutely on their side? That's the real question.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":33,"quote_text":34,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":35,"source":36,"quote_tag":37,"commentary":9},3770685,"I study these bills. I read them carefully. If it makes sense, I'll sign on them. If not, I don't.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":39,"quote_text":40,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":41,"source":42,"quote_tag":43,"commentary":9},3770681,"Anybody that's ever been to Israel and to Palestine knows that you can't look at a person and tell if they're Israeli or Palestinian. You can assume. But I've seen Palestinians who look Swedish, and I've seen Israelis who are black.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":45,"quote_text":46,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":47,"source":48,"quote_tag":49,"commentary":9},3770678,"All I'd like to say is that I am a patriotic, loyal American. I love my country and the values that it stands for. And I am a Muslim.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":51,"quote_text":52,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":53,"source":54,"quote_tag":55,"commentary":9},3770675,"We must invest in and empower our state and local parties by creating effective field operations, an enhanced and advanced voter file, and a culture of collaboration between candidates at every level. Let's put the voters first.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":57,"quote_text":58,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":59,"source":60,"quote_tag":61,"commentary":9},3770672,"When voters know what Democrats stand for, we can improve the lives of all Americans, no matter their race, religion or sexual orientation.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":63,"quote_text":64,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":65,"source":66,"quote_tag":67,"commentary":9},3770669,"I try to live tolerance in my own way, which is why, as a politician, one of my key priorities is to stand up for human rights.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":9},3770666,"People will politicize religion; we see it in every faith, in every religion. We see it with Pat Robertson, in my opinion, and we see it with the Taliban.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":75,"quote_text":76,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":77,"source":78,"quote_tag":79,"commentary":80},3770662,"You approach faith with humility. You can have some idea, but it boils down to do you see religion as a club, or do you see religion as a path? Do you see it as a wall that separates you or do you see it as a bridge that connects you to God and other people? When you see it as a bridge, you aren't so worried about bringing others over to your side.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress. Given his background as a civil rights activist and a convert to Islam, Ellison likely wrote or spoke these words during a period of heightened national attention on religious diversity and tolerance, possibly in the mid to late 2000s. At this time, Ellison was navigating the complexities of representing a traditionally conservative district in Minnesota while remaining true to his progressive values and faith.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe counter-intuitive truth in Ellison's statement lies in the distinction between seeing faith as a means of exclusion (a \"club\" or \"wall\") versus inclusion (a \"bridge\"). This nuance highlights the tension between the desire for community and the risk of sectarianism, revealing that true faith often requires embracing the ambiguity of shared humanity rather than rigid adherence to doctrine.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider approaching your professional or personal relationships with humility, recognizing that faith, values, or ideologies can be both unifying and divisive. By focusing on the connections that bridge differences, you can cultivate a more inclusive and empathetic approach to collaboration, communication, and community-building.",{"currentPage":82,"totalPages":83,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":84},1,11,10]