Joy Behar Quotes

The first duty of an American citizen, then is that he shall work in politics.

But, you know, I'm sorry, I think democracy requires participation. I mean, I don't want to proselytize but I do feel some sort of duty to participate in the process in some way other than just blindly getting behind a political party.

You can't be a full participant in our democracy if you don't know our history.

Every citizen has to figure out what kind of government he or she wants.

No citizen is apolitical; as a citizen, by definition, has to take interest in public affairs.

As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself - and not just by voting.

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

I'm not saying I shouldn't have to pay any taxes, but I shouldn't have to pay as many as somebody that votes. I don't vote because I don't know anything about politics. And honestly, I can't believe they'd let me. Isn't that an important thing? They'll just let me pick the president! I don't gotta know anything!

The fact that a man is to vote forces him to think.

All of us today are learning democracy. We are only now forming a political culture.

The very right to vote imposes on me the duty to instruct myself in public affairs however little influence my voice may have in them.

There is little doubt that our society is changing rapidly, but one thing will never change as long as we remain a democracy: the need for voters to know the essentials of our history and government.

I like to bring my kids to the voting booth to show them how it works. I'll let them draw their own conclusions as to how worthwhile it is.

I'm not that politically educated.

Only a knowledgeable, empowered and vocal citizenry can perform well in democracy.

Growing up, when we would get dragged to these events, I didn't want to be there. Over time, as we got older, I developed a real appreciation of the importance of being involved in the democratic process.

Our democracy is not something to be taken for granted. You have to fight for it. You have to commit yourself to working for it - for the long haul.

I believe that everyone should participate in democracy and enjoy doing it.

No matter where you stand politically - even if you're unsure of what your political ideology is - it is important to take part in the process of shaping our government.

And in a democracy, when we say we're mad at what's going on, what we need to be saying is we're mad at ourselves.

And they understand that to be an effective member of a democracy, you have to accept responsibility.

I'm responsible. I even did a commercial for MTV saying how I was going to register to vote. And I still haven't.

Democracy is difficult and demanding. So is history. It can crack your voice; it can stir your soul; it can break your heart.

As an American citizen, one has to vote. If we don't vote, we're not doing our part. We'll become some sort of oligarchy.

We are not educated well enough to perform the necessary act of intelligently selecting our leaders.