Gustav Heinemann Quotes

We're not going back anywhere, we're going forward, we're going forward in democracy, we're going forward in participation, we're going forward with ideas.

I just think that all of us in this room should have a voice in how the USA is represented. And he don't allow us our voice, that's all I'm saying.

The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood - rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky - they all turn out in one day.

Getting involved in politics was a quest for freedom.

Somehow we must be able to show people that democracy is not about words, but action.

We have to become involved in the political process - if we don't like it, we can change it.

I am going to continue to fight for our democracy, for representation, for justice and equality and making the world a better place.

I am a firm believer in the importance of democracy, not only as the ultimate goal, but also as an essential part of the process.

I want to make democracy work not only for the rich and the well connected but for everyone.

For all my years in public life, I have believed that America must sail toward the shores of liberty and justice for all. There is no end to that journey, only the next great voyage. We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make.

It is not enough to merely defend democracy. To defend it may be to lose it; to extend it is to strengthen it. Democracy is not property; it is an idea.

We need to learn democracy. Everything takes time.

I’m in politics to speak up for a Canada that takes risks, that stands up for what’s right. A Canada that leads.

How central shall democracy be in everything else we want to do in the world?

If the voters vote for the same old thing, they are going to get the same old thing. If they want change, they are going to have to vote for change.

In youth one believes in democracy, later on, one has to accept it.

Too many people fought too hard to make sure all citizens of all colors, races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities can vote to think that not voting somehow sends a message.

Democracy is not what we don't want. Democracy is what we do want. It is a set of affirmative values by which we can move forward. If we cannot insert our values into our vote, and our vote is simply against what we fear most, then we are a ship lost at sea.

I think that there is not any group of people in this country who do not believe that they should be a part of the process.

In a democracy, there should be representation from every field.

We must make both our distributional and democratic systems work for our communities.

It's our time to fight for the America we know we can have.

Collective action remains the best way of renewing the march towards the great trinity of liberty, equality, and solidarity.

Democracy is not what we hate the most and what we fear the most. We need to stand up.

But I think we need to remember that democracy everywhere is by its nature incomplete, a work in progress.