Harry Hay Quotes

Logically, in a society ostensibly grounded on representative government, it would seem reasonable that a majority of the people in a State would elect a majority of that State’s legislators.

We will govern as if we had a majority. You simply carry on with your agenda.

The Congress is not a court of law but it is a court of public opinion.

If a democracy is to remain real and stable, the majority must be humane and farsighted enough to take care of minorities who have serious objections to the majorities point of view and who, because of lack of numbers, do not have the political strength to impose their own policy solutions through their own political power.

The people never have and never will be able to understand how the will of a majority of the House of Representatives can be set aside by the judgment of a few men on a powerful committee.

Decision by majorities is as much an expedient as lighting by gas.

Truth no more relies for success on ballot boxes than it does on cartridge boxes.

Law is the only direct product of democracy.

There is one thing, too apt to be forgotten, which it much behooves us to remember: In the Colonies, as everywhere else in this world, the vital point is not who decides, but what is decided on!

The result of cutting [political power] up into little bits is simply that the man who can sweep the greatest number into one heap will govern the rest... In a pure democracy the ruling men will be the wirepullers and their friends; but they will no more be on an equality with the voters than soldiers of Ministers of State are on an equality with the subjects of monarchy.

Consensus is the essence of the legislative process.

We'll vote when we have the votes.

We never go against a candidate for one or two votes. You can’t.

One-half of the people of this nation to-day are utterly powerless to blot from the statute books an unjust law, or to write there a new and a just one.

A law is simply a reflection of the momentary perception of self-interest by a majority of a legislative body.

With God on their side, Christians have no need for majoritarian politics, or for compromise and accomodation to reach their goal.

The debate is ended. Fifty percent plus one vote is all we need to govern this country.

I can't influence how other parties choose to vote.

Democrats may be in the minority in Congress, but we speak for the majority of Americans.

Thou shalt not steal, except by majority vote.

As we've always said, in politics the person with the biggest number wins.

In a democracy, if you don't get the votes, nothing else is possible, no matter how wonderful your dreams.

The vote controls everything that you do.

If someone says, 'Democracy is a sham, those people don't speak for me... the system's rigged,' you say, 'Vote.' Someone says, 'I was making a statement by not voting,' and then you say, 'Well I can't hear it.'

If things go right, maybe I'll chair the Appropriations Committee.