--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Basically, I have no place in organized…" description: "\"Basically, I have no place in organized politics. By coming to the British Parliament, I've allowed the people to sacrifice me at the top and let go th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bernadette-devlin-26751_bottom_basically-i-have-no-place-in-organized-p_2334244.png" --- # Basically, I have no place in organized politics. By… ![“Basically, I have no place in organized politics. By coming to the British Parliament, I've allowed the people to sacrifice me at the top and let go the more effective job I should be doing at the bottom.” quote by Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bernadette-devlin-26751_bottom_basically-i-have-no-place-in-organized-p_2334244.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bernadette-devlin-26751_bottom_basically-i-have-no-place-in-organized-p_2334244.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb0/bernadette-devlin-26751_bottom_basically-i-have-no-place-in-organized-p_2334244.png) > “Basically, I have no place in organized politics. By coming to the British Parliament, I've allowed the people to sacrifice me at the top and let go the more effective job I should be doing at the bottom.” [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She feels marginalized in formal politics, believing her presence is used symbolically while her real work is ignored. **In simple terms:** She feels used as a symbol, not allowed to do real work. Key Takeaway Seek roles where your impact is valued. Themes politics representation power dynamics agency Mood frustrated determined reflective Type political personal critical When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - public speaking - local governance Key Concepts symbolic representation institutional marginalization grassroots activism Questions to Reflect On - How can you create change outside formal institutions? - What alternatives exist for effective political engagement? A Different Perspective Her influence may be limited by hierarchical structures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-parliament/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Organized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized/) [Organized Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-politics-5626929/) [Parliament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament/) [Parliament Ve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parliament-ve-5626928/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [ \[T\]he dignity of parliament it seems can brook no opposition to it's power. 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But by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/there-is-not-in-the-british-empire-a-man-who-more-cordially-loves-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A similar move is underway in the British Parliament. Earlier this month, more than 30 religious leaders and scholars wrote Secretary of State John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/a-similar-move-is-underway-in-the-british-parliament-earlier-this/) [Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/) > [To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/to-disarm-the-people-was-the-best-and-most-effectual-way-to-enslave/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [We must learn to do economic work from all who know how, no matter who they are. We must esteem them as teachers, learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/we-must-learn-to-do-economic-work-from-all-who-know-how-no-matter-who/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [The minds of youth are perpetually led to the history of Greece and Rime or to Great Britain; Boys are constantly repeating the declamations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/the-minds-of-youth-are-perpetually-led-to-the-history-of-greece-and/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [My function in life is not to be a politician in Parliament: it is to get something done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/my-function-in-life-is-not-to-be-a-politician-in-parliament-it-is-to/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) ## More by Bernadette Devlin > [There are no illegitimate children, only illegitimate parents-if the term is to be used at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/there-are-no-illegitimate-children-only-illegitimate-parents-if-the/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [Irish Catholics are more interested in the rosary beads than in the rosary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/irish-catholics-are-more-interested-in-the-rosary-beads-than-in-the/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/to-gain-that-which-is-worth-having-it-may-be-necessary-to-lose/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [... in Northern Ireland, if you don't have basic Christianity, rather than merely religion, all you get out of the experience of living is bitterness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/in-northern-ireland-if-you-don-t-have-basic-christianity-rather-than/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [I went to a very militantly Republican grammar school and, under its influence, began to revolt against the Establishment, on thesimple rule of thumb,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/i-went-to-a-very-militantly-republican-grammar-school-and-under-its/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [Free love is too expensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/free-love-is-too-expensive/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [One American said that the most interesting thing about Holy Ireland was that its people hate each other in the name of Jesus Christ.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/one-american-said-that-the-most-interesting-thing-about-holy-ireland/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [My function in life is not to be a politician in Parliament: it is to get something done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/my-function-in-life-is-not-to-be-a-politician-in-parliament-it-is-to/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/yesterday-i-dared-to-struggle-today-i-dare-to-win/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [It did not seem to me that prejudice, poverty, discrimination, repression and racism were confined to the North of Ireland. I could see them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/it-did-not-seem-to-me-that-prejudice-poverty-discrimination/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [We were born into an unjust system; we are not prepared to grow old in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/we-were-born-into-an-unjust-system-we-are-not-prepared-to-grow-old-in/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [Among the best traitors Ireland has ever had, Mother Church ranks at the very top, a massive obstacle in the path to equality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/among-the-best-traitors-ireland-has-ever-had-mother-church-ranks-at/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [Should an anthropologist or a sociologist be looking for a bizarre society to study, I would suggest he come to Ulster. It is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/should-an-anthropologist-or-a-sociologist-be-looking-for-a-bizarre/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [It wasn't long before people discovered the final horrors of letting an urchin into Parliament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/it-wasn-t-long-before-people-discovered-the-final-horrors-of-letting/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) > [I'm not good enough to be a saint and not bad enough to be interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-devlin/i-m-not-good-enough-to-be-a-saint-and-not-bad-enough-to-be-interesting/) [Bernadette Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) [Explore all 21 Bernadette Devlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-devlin/) ## More Bottom quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Filmmaking, like sex, isn't a polite enterprise. It involves a lot of mess and the bottom line is, if somebody ain't screaming, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-woods/filmmaking-like-sex-isn-t-a-polite-enterprise-it-involves-a-lot-of/) [James Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-woods/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I plead with my Moonlight fans to give this show a chance if they let me give it a chance. I can’t do Moonlight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-o-loughlin/i-plead-with-my-moonlight-fans-to-give-this-show-a-chance-if-they-let/) [Alex O'Loughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-o-loughlin/) > [Well, the bottom line is that I'm extremely pleased with 'The Stupids.' I'm pleased that it's coming out, and it should look good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/well-the-bottom-line-is-that-i-m-extremely-pleased-with-the-stupids-i/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [Search for the seed of good in every adversity. Master that principle and you will own a precious shield that will guard you well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/search-for-the-seed-of-good-in-every-adversity-master-that-principle/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [I would have had a clause in my contract; I would've definitely put some fine print in my contract that said, "If the president…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-budden/i-would-have-had-a-clause-in-my-contract-i-would-ve-definitely-put/) [Joe Budden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-budden/) > [Of course the Dharma-body of the Buddha was the hedge at the bottom of the garden. At the same time, and no less obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/of-course-the-dharma-body-of-the-buddha-was-the-hedge-at-the-bottom/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [When I hit bottom, I can attack the problem and get to where I want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-rodman/when-i-hit-bottom-i-can-attack-the-problem-and-get-to-where-i-want-to/) [Dennis Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-rodman/) > [If I had lost the popular vote but won the electoral college and in my first day as president the intelligence community came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-i-had-lost-the-popular-vote-but-won-the-electoral-college-and-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [The bottom line, in the professional level, no matter where you go, there's going to be competition. That's what it is. 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