WIST Quotations

Twain, Mark -- Novel (1889), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Part 3 “The Tale of the Lost Land,” ch. 13 “Freemen!”

Dave — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:36:00 +0000

[T]he citizen who thinks he sees that the commonwealth’s political clothes are worn out, and yet holds his peace and does not agitate for a new suit, is disloyal; he is a traitor. That he may be the only one who thinks he sees this decay, does not excuse him; it is his duty to agitate anyway, and it is the duty of the others to vote him down if they do not see the matter as he does.

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Novel (1889), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Part 3 “The Tale of the Lost Land,” ch. 13 “Freemen!”

Ivins, Molly -- Essay (2004), Introduction, Who Let the Dogs In?

Dave — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:32:26 +0000

You have more political power than 99 percent of all the people who have ever lived on this planet. You can not only vote, you can register other people to vote, round up your friends, get out and do political education, talk to people, laugh with people, call the radio, write the paper, write your elected representatives, use your email list, put up signs, march, volunteer, and raise hell. All your life, no matter what else you do — butcher, baker, beggarman, thief / doctor, lawyer, Indian chief — you have another job, another responsibility: You are a citizen. It is an obligation that requires attention and effort.

Molly Ivins (1944–2007) American writer, political columnist [Mary Tyler Ivins]
Essay (2004), Introduction, Who Let the Dogs In?

Phillips, Wendell -- Speech (1857-01-02), 25th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, Faneuil Hall, Boston

Dave — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 16:17:47 +0000

These [social questions] have all been kept alive in the cauldron of our agitation, and earned us properly, deservedly, the title of “infidel” and “traitor.” “Infidel” to a church that could be at peace in the presence of sin! “Traitor” to a state that was a magnificent conspiracy against justice.

Wendell Phillips (1811–1884) American abolitionist, orator, social activist
Speech (1857-01-02), 25th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, Faneuil Hall, Boston

As recorded in The Liberator, Vol. 27, No. 2 (1857-01-09), and the National Anti-Slavery Standard, Vol. 17, No. 35 (1857-01-17).

This is the closest to primary source for a variation of a quote more commonly cited to Phillips:

Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor" -- infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people.”

The earliest I can find this version of the quote in print is in the late 1920s (1927, 1927, 1929) in various Labor / Socialist publications, standing alone as column filler without citation.

Prior to this, I can find examples of a form closer to the one given above:

When I die I wish but two words written on my tombstone -- "Infidel" -- "Traitor." Infidel to a church that can be at peace in the presence of sin; Traitor to a government that is a magnificent conspiracy against justice.

The earliest I find this version is in Oliver Johnson, William Lloyd Garrison and His Time (1879), a quotation from Johnson of a (the same?) speech at Faneuil Hall. It's also mentioned, in whole or in part in:

The Cube (1897-05), mentioned as a quotation from Phillips.
The Advocate of Peace, Vol. 60, No. 9 (1898-10), printing a pacifism speech by William Lloyd Garrison (1898-08-25).
The Labour Annual (1899), as column filler.

While it is possible that Phillips used variations of the same quotation on different occasions (as many orators and lecturers of that time and this do), the clustering of dates with versions suggests to me failures of memory (e.g., Johnson), or intentional tweakings of the text (in the 1920s) to prefer more contemporary language or political usage.

Rufus King Noyes (comp.), Views of Religion (1908), is a list of quotations about (and generally critical of) religion, in the format of giving the name, and then the quotation after this. It includes, attributed in this fashion to Phillips:

When I die, I wish but two words written on my tombstone -- "Infidel" and "Traitor."

The next quotation -- with its name immediately below the above, is from William Dean Howells. I did find misattributions to this and the longer quote made to Howells, probably from a misreading of this book's format.

As a final note, Phillips' gravestone did not end up including either of those words.

Takei, George -- Interview by Peter Anthony Holder, CJAD, Montreal (21 Nov 1994)

Dave — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 19:54:52 +0000

This is supposed to be a participatory democracy and if we’re not in there participating then the people that will manipulate and exploit the system will step in there. So I’ve been a political activist all my life and I think in a large measure it’s because of the internment that we experienced fifty years ago.

George Takei (b. 1937) American actor, author, activist [ジョージ・タケイ, b. Hosato Takei]
Interview by Peter Anthony Holder, CJAD, Montreal (21 Nov 1994)

Serling, Rod -- Paraphrase of Rod Serling in Anne Serling, As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling, Epilogue (2013)

Dave — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 21:09:33 +0000

The gifts and the lessons my father left me will last forever: Never take yourself too seriously, never miss a chance to laugh long and hard, speak out about political and social issues you believe in, use the written word as often as you can to make yourself and the world a better place, and love your children with all you’ve got.

Rod Serling (1924–1975) American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, narrator
Paraphrase of Rod Serling in Anne Serling, As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling, Epilogue (2013)

Lewis, John -- Twitter (2016-03-15)

Dave — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:32:45 +0000

People keep telling me they are frustrated and ask, “What can I do?” I say organize, get registered, and vote like you’ve never voted before.

John Lewis (1940–2020) American politician and civil rights leader
Twitter (2016-03-15)

Lewis used the phrase multiple times in his career.

Obama, Barack -- Staff Farewell, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (20 Jan 2017)

Dave — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 17:07:24 +0000

Our democracy is not the buildings, not the monuments. It’s you being willing to work to make things better and being willing to listen to each other and argue with each other and come together and knock on doors and make phone calls and treat people with respect.

Barack Obama (b. 1961) American politician, US President (2009–2017)
Staff Farewell, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (20 Jan 2017)

King, Martin Luther III -- Speech, Democratic National Convention, Denver, Colorado (28 Aug 2008)

Dave — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 19:48:47 +0000

If we are to be a great democracy, we must all take an active role in our democracy. We must do democracy. That goes far beyond simply casting your vote. We must all actively champion the causes that ensure the common good.

Martin Luther King III (b. 1957) American human rights advocate and civil rights activist
Speech, Democratic National Convention, Denver, Colorado (28 Aug 2008)

Solnit, Rebecca -- Facebook (2016-10-17)

Dave — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 21:23:10 +0000

Build movements. Vote with your values, but vote strategically. Voting isn’t a Valentine. It’s a chess move.

Rebecca Solnit (b. 1961) American writer, historian, activist
Facebook (2016-10-17)

Solnit is credited with the core message of the last two sentences. She indicates (including from that Facebook post) that it was something she had said that was extracted and perhaps tweaked by May Boeve. E.g., "That 2016 aphorism that I sort of said and May Boeve made into this stand-alone slogan" (2018-11-01). "I said that off the cuff in 2016 and May Boeve caught it and it went on to have a nice life. It's also not the only chess move you get" (2020-08-11).

Variants:

"Voting is a chess move, not a valentine. And here's the joy of being politically engaged all year round every year; you get to work with a whole lot of chess pieces and players and strategies and long-term visions, so you don't agonize over whether this little hop with a pawn we call voting defines you. You get to define yourself by what you're passionately committed to, by who you align with, by your dreams and your visions, you get to move a lot of pieces a lot of times, you get heroic allies, and you play to win above, beyond, around elections. But you vote, because you know it matters too." (2016-11-07)
"I think of voting as a chess move, not a valentine. It’s just a little part of the picture of how we make the world." ("The 2000 Election Unleashed Disaster on the World. We Can’t Let that Happen Again in 2016," The Nation (2016-11-03))
"A vote is not a valentine. You are not confessing your love for the candidate. It's a chess move for the world you want to live in."
"Voting isn't a valentine, it's a chess move. Just one of many with one of your many pieces, if you're using what you've been given."

Savio, Mario -- “Sproul Hall Sit-In Address” (2 Dec 1964)

Dave — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 14:08:51 +0000

There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part, you can’t even passively take part; and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop, And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, the people who own it, that unless you’re free the machine will be prevented from working at all.

Mario Savio (1942–1996) American political activist
“Sproul Hall Sit-In Address” (2 Dec 1964)

McLaughlin, Mignon -- The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 5 (1963)

Dave — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:07:44 +0000

The know-nothings are, unfortunately, seldom the do-nothings.

Mignon McLaughlin (1913–1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 5 (1963)

King, Martin Luther -- Sermon, Ebenezer Baptist Church (4 Feb 1968)

Dave — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:36:14 +0000

Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won’t have any money to leave behind. I won’t have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) American clergyman, civil rights leader, social activist, preacher
Sermon, Ebenezer Baptist Church (4 Feb 1968)

Full text. Adaptation by King of the 1952 homily "Drum-Major Instincts" by J. Wallace Hamilton. Paraphrased on the MLK memorial in Washington, DC, as, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness"; the inscription was later removed.

King, Martin Luther -- Strength to Love, ch. 6 “A Knock at Midnight,” sec. 3 (1963)

Dave — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:34:13 +0000

The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. If the church does not participate actively in the struggle for peace and for economic and racial justice, it will forfeit the loyalty of millions and cause men everywhere to say that it has atrophied its will.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) American clergyman, civil rights leader, social activist, preacher
Strength to Love, ch. 6 “A Knock at Midnight,” sec. 3 (1963)

Mead, Margaret -- (Attributed)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead (1901–1978) American anthropologist
(Attributed)

Phrase frequently attributed to Mead, but not found in her writings. The first sentence, however, is trademarked.

Mead founded the Institute for Intercultural Studies in 1944 (it dissolved in 2009). Regarding this quote, the IIS noted on its still extant website:

We have been unable to locate when and where it was first cited, becoming a motto for many organizations and movements. We believe it probably came into circulation through a newspaper report of something said spontaneously and informally. We know, however, that it was firmly rooted in her professional work and that it reflected a conviction that she expressed often, in different contexts and phrasings.

Additional discussion about this quotation's origins: Never Doubt That a Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Can Change the World; Indeed, It’s the Only Thing That Ever Has – Quote Investigator.

Watterson, Bill -- Calvin and Hobbes (1992-11-08)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

CALVIN: I’ve noticed that comic book superheroes usually fight evil maniacs with grandiose plans to destroy the world. Why don’t superheroes go after more subtle, realistic bad guys?

HOBBES: Yeah, the superhero could attend council meetings and write letters to the editor, and stuff.

CALVIN: Hmmm … I think I see the problem.

HOBBES: “Quick! To the Bat-Fax!”

Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1992-11-08)

Barry, Dave -- “25 Things I Have Learned In 50 Years,” #17 (1997)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

Dave Barry (b. 1947) American humorist, author, columnist
“25 Things I Have Learned In 50 Years,” #17 (1997)

Debs, Eugene V. -- Speech (1908-05-23), “The Issue,” Girard, Kansas

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization. Progress is born of agitation. It is agitation or stagnation.

Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926) American union leader, activist, socialist, politician
Speech (1908-05-23), “The Issue,” Girard, Kansas

Impromptu speech in the town Debs was living in after his third nomination for President on the Socialist Democratic ticket.