A free and truly independent press - fiercely independent when necessary - is the red beating heart of freedom and democracy.

— Dan Rather

Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic.

— Dan Rather

An intellectual snob is someone who can listen to the William Tell Overture and not think of The Lone Ranger.

— Dan Rather

A tough lesson in life that one has to learn is that not everybody wishes you well.

— Dan Rather

But we cannot rely on memorials and museums alone. We can tell ourselves we will never forget, and we likely won't. But we need to make sure that we teach history to those who never had the opportunity to remember in the first place.

— Dan Rather

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.

— Dan Rather

Don't taunt the alligator until after you've crossed the creek.

— Dan Rather

If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.

— Dan Rather

If frogs had side pockets, they'd carry hand guns.

— Dan Rather

I got addicted. News, particularly daily news, is more addictive than crack cocaine, more addictive than heroin, more addictive than cigarettes.

— Dan Rather