--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He convinced me that if we're going to…" description: "\"He convinced me that if we're going to have honest government that you can't leave it up to the crooks and that honest people have to get involved in g..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/bill-scott-28612_convinced_he-convinced-me-that-if-we-re-going-to-h_1263434.jpg" --- # He convinced me that if we're going to have honest… ![“He convinced me that if we're going to have honest government that you can't leave it up to the crooks and that honest people have to get involved in government. So I did. I got involved as a criminal prosecutor with the U. S. Justice Department.” quote by Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/bill-scott-28612_convinced_he-convinced-me-that-if-we-re-going-to-h_1263434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/bill-scott-28612_convinced_he-convinced-me-that-if-we-re-going-to-h_1263434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bf/bill-scott-28612_convinced_he-convinced-me-that-if-we-re-going-to-h_1263434.jpg) > “He convinced me that if we're going to have honest government that you can't leave it up to the crooks and that honest people have to get involved in government. So I did. I got involved as a criminal prosecutor with the U. S. Justice Department.” [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Honest governance requires participation of good people, not just reliance on corrupt officials. **In simple terms:** Good people must engage in politics. Key Takeaway Get involved in public service. Themes civic duty political engagement integrity Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - running for office - volunteering - community activism - policy advocacy Key Concepts democracy citizen responsibility public trust Questions to Reflect On - How can ordinary citizens overcome apathy? - What barriers prevent honest people from entering politics? A Different Perspective Change is slow and faces entrenched interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal/) [Crooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crooks/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Honest government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-government/) [Honest people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest-people/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [My job as a prosecutor is to do justice. And justice is served when a guilty man is convicted and an innocent man is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/my-job-as-a-prosecutor-is-to-do-justice-and-justice-is-served-when-a/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [What struck me more than anything is how the people that are involved in government start out from a place of really wanting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-smits/what-struck-me-more-than-anything-is-how-the-people-that-are-involved/) [Jimmy Smits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-smits/) > [You're a sovereign as a citizen. If you're not involved in your government, you're not doing your job. In the long run that's very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-novak/you-re-a-sovereign-as-a-citizen-if-you-re-not-involved-in-your/) [Michael Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-novak/) > [When the people become involved in their government, government becomes more accountable, and our society is stronger, more compassionate, and better prepared for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/when-the-people-become-involved-in-their-government-government/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [If you start getting involved with government on, this one gets this pay and this one gets that pay, then you say, where does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-start-getting-involved-with-government-on-this-one-gets-this/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Taxes should be continued by annual or biennial reeactments, because a constant hold, by the nation, of the strings of the public purse is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/taxes-should-be-continued-by-annual-or-biennial-reeactments-because-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/a-prohibition-law-strikes-a-blow-at-the-very-principles-upon-which/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I want to assure you that working in transition period is an ungrateful job for any honest government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kocharian/i-want-to-assure-you-that-working-in-transition-period-is-an/) Robert Kocharian > [We've always tried to run a transparent and honest government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-patnaik/we-ve-always-tried-to-run-a-transparent-and-honest-government/) [Naveen Patnaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-patnaik/) > [Our long-term dream is for Singapore to have a healthy democracy where there are two or three parties who could form a competent and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pritam-singh/our-long-term-dream-is-for-singapore-to-have-a-healthy-democracy/) [Pritam Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pritam-singh/) > [An honest government is the childish dream of the gullible men!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/an-honest-government-is-the-childish-dream-of-the-gullible-men/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Moral decay first hampers and then strangles honest government, regular commerce, and even the ability to take genuine pleasure in the goods of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-kirk/moral-decay-first-hampers-and-then-strangles-honest-government/) [Russell Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-kirk/) > [I am committed to making Georgia a model for open and honest government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/i-am-committed-to-making-georgia-a-model-for-open-and-honest/) [Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/) > [Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/those-who-torment-us-for-our-own-good-will-torment-us-without-end-for/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [By a declaration of rights, I mean one which shall stipulate freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce against monopolies, trial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/by-a-declaration-of-rights-i-mean-one-which-shall-stipulate-freedom/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Bill Scott > [“The origins of great companies inevitably start with the ideas and enterprise of great men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/the-origins-of-great-companies-inevitably-start-with-the-ideas-and/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [It's kind of hard to spend long hours trying to help people and then find out that the favorite game of the columnist is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/it-s-kind-of-hard-to-spend-long-hours-trying-to-help-people-and-then/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [Whether or not we can save Lake Michigan, whether or not we can avoid a breakdown in our criminal justice system are more important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/whether-or-not-we-can-save-lake-michigan-whether-or-not-we-can-avoid/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [I think it is wrong to spend $4 or $5 million in a campaign.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/i-think-it-is-wrong-to-spend-4-or-5-million-in-a-campaign/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [“To us children he (Mr Ewing) was our very own ‘Mr Chips’ and invariably we would each receive half a crown whenever we encountered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/to-us-children-he-mr-ewing-was-our-very-own-mr-chips-and-invariably/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [We're involved right now in some very significant legal battles and it would be the wrong thing for me to do to step out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/we-re-involved-right-now-in-some-very-significant-legal-battles-and/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [I think we're probably more unified than ever before because we're in a battle for survival. Not only for survival as the Republican Party,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/i-think-we-re-probably-more-unified-than-ever-before-because-we-re-in/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [He seems to want confrontation not only with the legislature and with the other elected officials, but he wants constant confrontation in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/he-seems-to-want-confrontation-not-only-with-the-legislature-and-with/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [We aren't going to agree on everything and there will be other areas where we will be working together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/we-aren-t-going-to-agree-on-everything-and-there-will-be-other-areas/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [There's no question that any of us who are doing an honest job in government could do a lot better in private industry. During…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/there-s-no-question-that-any-of-us-who-are-doing-an-honest-job-in/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [“The story of Andrew Ewing is partly one of rags to riches – but there is more to it than that, since his business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/the-story-of-andrew-ewing-is-partly-one-of-rags-to-riches-but-there/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [Literally every department of state government has gone through, or is in a period of, chaos. Not just fiscal chaos, but certainly as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/literally-every-department-of-state-government-has-gone-through-or-is/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [I was concerned about the link between crime and politics, and I figured out the only way I could do something about it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/i-was-concerned-about-the-link-between-crime-and-politics-and-i/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [Well, I think that those of us in public life that are trying to do a good job, and that are faced with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/well-i-think-that-those-of-us-in-public-life-that-are-trying-to-do-a/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [It is essential that there should not only be a limit on campaign spending but it should be required to say where that money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/it-is-essential-that-there-should-not-only-be-a-limit-on-campaign/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) [Explore all 19 Bill Scott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) ## More Convinced quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [I am convinced that we will never build a democratic state based on rule of law if we do not at the same time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/i-am-convinced-that-we-will-never-build-a-democratic-state-based-on/) [Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/) > [Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/be-convinced-that-to-be-happy-means-to-be-free-and-that-to-be-free/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [I'm convinced I will be cleared of all these charges that were unfairly leveled against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-estrada/i-m-convinced-i-will-be-cleared-of-all-these-charges-that-were/) [Joseph Estrada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-estrada/) > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. There is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/you-imagine-that-i-look-back-on-my-life-s-work-with-calm-satisfaction/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm convinced the fall of Aleppo will not end the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federica-mogherini/i-m-convinced-the-fall-of-aleppo-will-not-end-the-war/) [Federica Mogherini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federica-mogherini/) > [The male dares to be different to the degree that he accepts his passivity and his desire to be female, his fagginess. The farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/the-male-dares-to-be-different-to-the-degree-that-he-accepts-his/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [I cannot be convinced that great artists are moralists. Art is first appearances, then meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/i-cannot-be-convinced-that-great-artists-are-moralists-art-is-first/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/in-high-school-i-had-sex-with-girls-quite-a-few-times-they-were/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [Adults look upon a child as something empty that is to be filled through their own efforts, as something inert and helpless for which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/adults-look-upon-a-child-as-something-empty-that-is-to-be-filled/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [ The fact that an Englishman has an Argentinian as an idol is very rare. I keep watching my \[title-winning\] goal against QPR and every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-aguero/the-fact-that-an-englishman-has-an-argentinian-as-an-idol-is-very/) [Sergio Aguero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-aguero/) > [In the formation of such a government, it is not only the right, but the indispensable duty of every citizen to examine the principles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/in-the-formation-of-such-a-government-it-is-not-only-the-right-but/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [I'm not convinced that the world is in any worse shape than it ever was. It's just that in this age of almost instantaneous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/i-m-not-convinced-that-the-world-is-in-any-worse-shape-than-it-ever/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [“I become convinced that you have to live in the world to say anything meaningful about it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristina-garc-a/i-become-convinced-that-you-have-to-live-in-the-world-to-say-anything/) [Cristina García](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristina-garc-a/) Browse all 1,815 Convinced quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "He convinced me that if we're going to have honest government that you can't leave it up to the crooks and that honest people have to get involved in government. So I did. I got involved as a criminal prosecutor with the U. S. 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