--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At Standing Rock, we experienced…" description: "\"At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people coming together in their communities and trying to use the levers of representative democracy to t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg" --- # At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people… ![“At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people coming together in their communities and trying to use the levers of representative democracy to try and say, 'We don't want this in our community; we don't want this in our backyard,' and corporations using their monetary influence to…” quote by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg) > “At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people coming together in their communities and trying to use the levers of representative democracy to try and say, 'We don't want this in our community; we don't want this in our backyard,' and corporations using their monetary influence to completely erode that process.” [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Community members used democratic tools to oppose unwanted projects, but corporate money undermined the process. **In simple terms:** People tried to block harmful projects through democracy, yet corporate influence weakened it. Key Takeaway Protect democratic voice against corporate power. Themes activism environment politics democracy corporate influence Mood frustrated determined hopeful Type political activist call‑to‑action When to use this quote - local protests - legislative hearings - campaign funding debates Key Concepts grassroots organizing policy advocacy public participation Questions to Reflect On - How can communities safeguard democratic decisions? - What reforms limit corporate political spending? A Different Perspective Corporate money can dominate outcomes despite popular opposition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Backyard Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backyard-corporations-4757189/) [Coming Communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-communities-4757190/) [Coming together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-together/) [Communities Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communities-trying-4757188/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Corporations Using](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations-using-4757191/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Standing Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing-rock-577458/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) ## Related quotes > [It was really my experience at Standing Rock that was pretty pivotal for me because I saw how corporations were literally militarizing themselves against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/it-was-really-my-experience-at-standing-rock-that-was-pretty-pivotal/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [When I went to Standing Rock, it opened my mind, as did going to Indian reservations and speaking to kids about music and arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taboo/when-i-went-to-standing-rock-it-opened-my-mind-as-did-going-to-indian/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taboo/) > [I actually went to the frontline to be with my brothers at Standing Rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taboo/i-actually-went-to-the-frontline-to-be-with-my-brothers-at-standing/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taboo/) > [ The \[Donald\] Trump administration is making it very clear that they intend to destroy our only drinking water resource on the Standing Rock Nation… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-iron-eyes/the-donald-trump-administration-is-making-it-very-clear-that-they/) [Chase Iron Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-iron-eyes/) > [I know that there is a difference of opinion, but we stand united with the Standing Rock Nation in wanting the most highly militarized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-iron-eyes/i-know-that-there-is-a-difference-of-opinion-but-we-stand-united-with/) [Chase Iron Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-iron-eyes/) > [Standing Rock is a moment in history. We really have to grab it and go with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/standing-rock-is-a-moment-in-history-we-really-have-to-grab-it-and-go/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-podhoretz/creativity-represents-a-miraculous-coming-together-of-the-uninhibited/) [Norman Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-podhoretz/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [The word religion comes from an origin which means "coming together." But priesthood has been doing just the opposite, it has created splits in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-word-religion-comes-from-an-origin-which-means-coming-together/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Religion is no longer a connection point for most people. Our communities were built on coming together in physical locations once a week or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/religion-is-no-longer-a-connection-point-for-most-people-our/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [“All of the experiences he’d had with the band so far, watching other bands at work, reading, getting into Iggy and Throbbing Gristle, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-of-the-experiences-he-d-had-with-the-band-so-far-watching-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Out in the field I try not to hold expectations. I try to achieve an openness. The senses heighten so that I am totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-lazelle/out-in-the-field-i-try-not-to-hold-expectations-i-try-to-achieve-an/) [Keith Lazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-lazelle/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) ## More by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez > [When people feel like they are being spoken directly to, I do feel like... they'll do things like turn out in an off-year, mid-year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/when-people-feel-like-they-are-being-spoken-directly-to-i-do-feel/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I do think that sometimes, especially coming into this going straight from activism to being a candidate or to being a person who potentially,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-do-think-that-sometimes-especially-coming-into-this-going-straight/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [There's this false notion that you have to separate and choose between issues of class and issues of race. What people do when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/there-s-this-false-notion-that-you-have-to-separate-and-choose/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I'm very hands-on about social media. That's my voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-m-very-hands-on-about-social-media-that-s-my-voice/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Not all Democrats are the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/not-all-democrats-are-the-same/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [It's disingenuous to... pretend the sources of our money don't impact the policy we write - you just can't serve two masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/it-s-disingenuous-to-pretend-the-sources-of-our-money-don-t-impact/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I felt like the only way to effectively run for office is if you had access to a lot of wealth, high social influence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-felt-like-the-only-way-to-effectively-run-for-office-is-if-you-had/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I'm used to people kind of knowing me in the community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-m-used-to-people-kind-of-knowing-me-in-the-community/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [We absolutely do need to make sure that our borders are secure. But what we need to realize and remember is that ICE was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/we-absolutely-do-need-to-make-sure-that-our-borders-are-secure-but/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [To me, what socialism means is to guarantee a basic level of dignity. It's asserting the value of saying that the America we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/to-me-what-socialism-means-is-to-guarantee-a-basic-level-of-dignity/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I just hope that more people will ignore the fatalism of the argument that we are beyond repair. We are not beyond repair. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-just-hope-that-more-people-will-ignore-the-fatalism-of-the-argument/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Before ICE, we had Immigration and Naturalization Services, but it wasn't until about 1999 that we chose to criminalize immigration at all. And then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/before-ice-we-had-immigration-and-naturalization-services-but-it-wasn/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [What I see is that the Democratic Party takes working class communities for granted, they take people of color for granted, and they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/what-i-see-is-that-the-democratic-party-takes-working-class/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [It's really scary or it's easy to generate fear around an idea or around an -ism when you don't provide any substance to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/it-s-really-scary-or-it-s-easy-to-generate-fear-around-an-idea-or/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [I wasn't born to a wealthy or powerful family - mother from Puerto Rico, dad from the South Bronx.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/i-wasn-t-born-to-a-wealthy-or-powerful-family-mother-from-puerto-rico/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) [Explore all 75 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) ## More Coming together quotes > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Out in the field I try not to hold expectations. I try to achieve an openness. The senses heighten so that I am totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-lazelle/out-in-the-field-i-try-not-to-hold-expectations-i-try-to-achieve-an/) [Keith Lazelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-lazelle/) > [“All of the experiences he’d had with the band so far, watching other bands at work, reading, getting into Iggy and Throbbing Gristle, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-of-the-experiences-he-d-had-with-the-band-so-far-watching-other/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Religion is no longer a connection point for most people. Our communities were built on coming together in physical locations once a week or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-mckelvey/religion-is-no-longer-a-connection-point-for-most-people-our/) [Miguel McKelvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-mckelvey/) > [The word religion comes from an origin which means "coming together." But priesthood has been doing just the opposite, it has created splits in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-word-religion-comes-from-an-origin-which-means-coming-together/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“I was going to make a confession. Then I remembered I don't make them very well. We still need to see the monkeys." "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/i-was-going-to-make-a-confession-then-i-remembered-i-don-t-make-them/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-podhoretz/creativity-represents-a-miraculous-coming-together-of-the-uninhibited/) [Norman Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-podhoretz/) > [When you win a Grand Prix, it's the culmination of everything coming together. Not just trackside, but behind the scenes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-horner/when-you-win-a-grand-prix-it-s-the-culmination-of-everything-coming/) [Christian Horner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-horner/) > [I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/i-am-a-firm-believer-in-serendipity-all-the-random-pieces-coming/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [The neighbourhood is a place of...intrigue and emotional espionage, where when two people stop to talk on the street their tongues are like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadeem-aslam/the-neighbourhood-is-a-place-of-intrigue-and-emotional-espionage/) [Nadeem Aslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadeem-aslam/) > [Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coming-together-is-a-beginning-keeping-together-is-progress-working/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anyone who believes in good government and our Constitution should support coming together as a country to set some modern-day standards for not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/anyone-who-believes-in-good-government-and-our-constitution-should/) [Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/) > [Whats great about The Avengers is that its the next step. Its not just superhero fights super-villain and superhero wins. Its about superheroes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-leterrier/whats-great-about-the-avengers-is-that-its-the-next-step-its-not-just/) [Louis Leterrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-leterrier/) [Browse all 391 Coming together quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-together/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people coming together in their communities and trying to use the levers of representative democracy to try and say, 'We don't want this in our community; we don't want this in our backyard,' and corporations using their monetary influence to completely erode that process.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-hand-people-coming-together-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coming together" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-hand-people-coming-together-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-9043_coming-together_at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-ha_1376693.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand, people coming together in their communities and trying to use…” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "At Standing Rock, we experienced, first-hand,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-hand-people-coming-together-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/at-standing-rock-we-experienced-first-hand-people-coming-together-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```