Ella Grasso Quotes

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is a difficult, hard, full-contact, participatory endeavor.

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

I'm a citizen in a democracy. To call me an activist would be redundant. It's not a spectator sport. If we all become non-participants, it no longer works.

We have got to mobilize people and rethink our commitment in terms of what our role is in the political process.

Voting is fundamental in our democracy. It has yielded enormous returns.

We can change the direction of the country with our vote.

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.

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.

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.

Everyone, Republican or otherwise has their own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small, no one is too old or too young to do something.

The democratic process is only as great as the people who participate in it.

To make democracy work, we must be a notion of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.

I think if people value democracy, they had damn well better get out and exercise their right to vote while their vote still means something.

This is one of the finest expressions of U. S. democracy at work.

Democracy is not a spectator sport.

America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote.

I think everybody who has a brain should get involved in politics. Working within. Not criticizing it from the outside. Become an active participant, no matter how feeble you think the effort is.

Our constitutional democracy demands our participation, not just every four years, but all the time.

Even though I grew up and I didn't always like getting dragged to the meetings or the rallies or the speeches, I developed a very strong respect for participating in a democratic process.

You can't afford to hate politics. The politics of this country is democracy. Democracy is by the people, of the people and for the people. The day people stop taking active part in the politics of this country, democracy will not survive.

Voting isn't the most we can do. But it is the least.

I would say democracy once meant an organizational society and a state, in which the individual citizen is - feels - responsible, and acts responsibly, and participates in decision-making.

Let us get on with creating the democratic and pluralistic society that we say we are.

It's the American way: if you don't vote, you don't get to whine.