--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do not think that any self-respecting…" description: "\"I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history would have considered advocating people’s rights to get married, join the Army, and earn a l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/barney-frank-3610_advocating_i-do-not-think-that-any-self-respecting_1197357.png" --- # I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history… ![“I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history would have considered advocating people’s rights to get married, join the Army, and earn a living as a terribly inspiring revolutionary platform.” quote by Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/barney-frank-3610_advocating_i-do-not-think-that-any-self-respecting_1197357.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/barney-frank-3610_advocating_i-do-not-think-that-any-self-respecting_1197357.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e5/barney-frank-3610_advocating_i-do-not-think-that-any-self-respecting_1197357.png) > “I do not think that any self-respecting radical in history would have considered advocating people’s rights to get married, join the Army, and earn a living as a terribly inspiring revolutionary platform.” [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Radical advocates historically fought for fundamental rights like marriage, military service, and livelihood, seeing them as revolutionary platforms. **In simple terms:** Radicals have always championed basic human rights. Key Takeaway Support universal rights as a foundation for change. Themes rights radicalism social justice Mood inspirational analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - activism - legal advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts civil liberties political theory Questions to Reflect On - Which rights need urgent protection today? - How can radical ideas be translated into practical policy? A Different Perspective Some argue incremental reforms are more effective than sweeping revolutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advocating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocating/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Considered Advocating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considered-advocating-3576146/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inspiring Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiring-revolutionary-3576144/) [Joining the army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joining-the-army/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Platforms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platforms/) [Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical/) [Radical History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-history-2158657/) [Respecting Radical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respecting-radical-3576145/) [Revolutionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutionary/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I do have things I would like to see adopted on behalf of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people: they include the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-do-have-things-i-would-like-to-see-adopted-on-behalf-of-gay-lesbian/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Is there an idea more radical in the history of the human race than turning your children over to total strangers whom you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/is-there-an-idea-more-radical-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-than/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [I think a draft produces a better Army than the one we would have with all volunteers, because I think you get average Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/i-think-a-draft-produces-a-better-army-than-the-one-we-would-have/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [The moment that you have a child - that you know that when he'll turn 18, he'll join the Army and go there for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etgar-keret/the-moment-that-you-have-a-child-that-you-know-that-when-he-ll-turn/) [Etgar Keret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etgar-keret/) > [I guess if you're stupid enough to join the army without thinking about getting shot at, then you really are a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/i-guess-if-you-re-stupid-enough-to-join-the-army-without-thinking/) [James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/) > [If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/if-a-young-fella-has-an-option-of-having-a-decent-career-or-joining/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [There's no such thing as too far. If it works it's funny, if it doesn't work it's too far, it's stupid. Really there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/there-s-no-such-thing-as-too-far-if-it-works-it-s-funny-if-it-doesn-t/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Call Of Duty will have a guy thinking about joining the army...then finally you realize how many times you died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lazarus-michael/call-of-duty-will-have-a-guy-thinking-about-joining-the-army-then/) [Lazarus Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lazarus-michael/) > [Yeah, I know I should be fighting for gay rights, but who wants to join the army or get married anyway?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/yeah-i-know-i-should-be-fighting-for-gay-rights-but-who-wants-to-join/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [“Jamie used the time away from me to do some soul-searching. She finally also did something she’d thought about for a long time. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-galloway/jamie-used-the-time-away-from-me-to-do-some-soul-searching-she/) [Noah Galloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-galloway/) > [Join the army and see the next world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-thomas/join-the-army-and-see-the-next-world/) [Dylan Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-thomas/) > [I have always had the passion of joining the army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-thakur/i-have-always-had-the-passion-of-joining-the-army/) [Anurag Thakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-thakur/) > [It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zell-miller/it-is-the-soldier-not-the-poet-who-has-given-us-freedom-of-speech/) [Zell Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zell-miller/) > [So the whole of war, when you look at it is probably run by professional soldiers, and the rest of them are just recruits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-scarfe/so-the-whole-of-war-when-you-look-at-it-is-probably-run-by/) [Gerald Scarfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-scarfe/) > [My father was furious with me, absolutely furious. I'm sure he wouldn't have been so mad if I'd have volunteered to join the army.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/my-father-was-furious-with-me-absolutely-furious-i-m-sure-he-wouldn-t/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) ## More by Barney Frank > [Moderate Republicans are reverse Houdinis. They tie themselves up in knots and then tell you they can’t do anything because they’re tied up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/moderate-republicans-are-reverse-houdinis-they-tie-themselves-up-in/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I think there were two criticisms you can make of Donald Trump's involvement in the Health Care Bill. First of all, there were times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-think-there-were-two-criticisms-you-can-make-of-donald-trump-s/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [When community action was put into federal law in the early sixties as part of the effort to combat poverty and social injustice, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/when-community-action-was-put-into-federal-law-in-the-early-sixties/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Donald Trump has done more for getting people to understand the importance of public policy that respond to public needs in an affirmative way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/donald-trump-has-done-more-for-getting-people-to-understand-the/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Before this learning experience, I had assumed that with regard to programs that sought to help people out of poverty, the political world was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/before-this-learning-experience-i-had-assumed-that-with-regard-to/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [The regulation of medicine has been a State function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/the-regulation-of-medicine-has-been-a-state-function/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [For most of my life, I have eaten to deal with stress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/for-most-of-my-life-i-have-eaten-to-deal-with-stress/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [They have to convert our agenda into something aggressive. Two guys wanting to be happy together are invading their marriages. Helping a kid who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/they-have-to-convert-our-agenda-into-something-aggressive-two-guys/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I think there was an absolute, deep gap between consensual relations between adults, which people may like or dislike, and people who physically impose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-think-there-was-an-absolute-deep-gap-between-consensual-relations/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I was still closeted, but from the day I decided to run for office, knowing that I was gay, I decided that I would,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-was-still-closeted-but-from-the-day-i-decided-to-run-for-office/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I have done a lot of work for affordable housing, rental housing. I understand the rap on me and other liberals is, oh, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-have-done-a-lot-of-work-for-affordable-housing-rental-housing-i/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [The most active people in the country know different things, and because each one tends to hear mostly and deal mostly with people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/the-most-active-people-in-the-country-know-different-things-and/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I can tell you about health care and also about the financial reform bill. The Barack Obama, the President personally and his administration officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-can-tell-you-about-health-care-and-also-about-the-financial-reform/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [In America, unlike England, unlike Israel, unlike Japan, other democracies, we have elections that have staggered terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/in-america-unlike-england-unlike-israel-unlike-japan-other/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [Ronald Reagan got a lot of democrats. I wish he hadn't. I got to Congress with Reagan coming to the Whitehouse. The Reagan Program,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/ronald-reagan-got-a-lot-of-democrats-i-wish-he-hadn-t-i-got-to/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) [Explore all 126 Barney Frank quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) ## More Advocating quotes > [As an American I am of course fundamentally opposed to democracy and to anyone advocating or defending democracy, which in theory and practice is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-wilder-lane/as-an-american-i-am-of-course-fundamentally-opposed-to-democracy-and/) [Rose Wilder Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-wilder-lane/) > [I am not a terrorist, but neither am I a pacifist. 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That's something I've been advocating for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-hall/i-d-like-to-see-more-crossover-between-white-and-black-music-that-s/) [Daryl Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-hall/) > [Every company can use someone advocating loudly for the customer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/every-company-can-use-someone-advocating-loudly-for-the-customer/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) > [If we were living in ancient Rome or Greece, I would be considered sickly and unattractive. The times dictate that thin is better for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwyneth-paltrow/if-we-were-living-in-ancient-rome-or-greece-i-would-be-considered/) [Gwyneth Paltrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwyneth-paltrow/) > [Are the great spiritual teachings really advocating that we fight evil because we are on the side of light, the side of peace? 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