--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not about you. Nobody gives a…" description: "\"“This is not about you. Nobody gives a shit whether you like pot or hate it. This is a race issue. It's a civil rights issue. It's about millions of pe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bruce-barcott-47994_civil-rights_this-is-not-about-you-nobody-gives-a-shi_355623.jpg" --- # This is not about you. Nobody gives a shit whether you… ![“This is not about you. Nobody gives a shit whether you like pot or hate it. This is a race issue. It's a civil rights issue. It's about millions of people losing their liberty and their lives because of ridiculous drug laws that do not work. There are generations of black men in prison because…” quote by Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bruce-barcott-47994_civil-rights_this-is-not-about-you-nobody-gives-a-shi_355623.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bruce-barcott-47994_civil-rights_this-is-not-about-you-nobody-gives-a-shi_355623.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/733/bruce-barcott-47994_civil-rights_this-is-not-about-you-nobody-gives-a-shi_355623.jpg) > ““This is not about you. Nobody gives a shit whether you like pot or hate it. This is a race issue. It's a civil rights issue. It's about millions of people losing their liberty and their lives because of ridiculous drug laws that do not work. There are generations of black men in prison because they were caught with a substance that's less harmful than alcohol. You're a white guy, so you don't have to worry about it. Others do.”” [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that drug prohibition disproportionately harms Black communities and is a civil‑rights issue. **In simple terms:** Drug laws hurt minorities and violate rights. Key Takeaway Advocate for reform. Themes civil rights drug policy racial injustice Mood urgent reflective Type opinion activist When to use this quote - legislation - public health - activism Key Concepts systemic racism criminal justice reform Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce incarceration rates? - How can allies support affected communities? A Different Perspective Change is slow and faces political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Drug laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-laws/) [Like Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-pot-424412/) [Men In Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-in-prison/) [Pot Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pot-hate-3276290/) [Race Issue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race-issue-1213479/) [Substance Harmful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substance-harmful-3276291/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) ## Related quotes > [You know and we have about 60 to 70 percent black men in prison today and it's because of the negativity they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-and-we-have-about-60-to-70-percent-black-men-in-prison-today/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also in prison, the only house in a slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/under-a-government-which-imprisons-any-unjustly-the-true-place-for-a-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In brief, we do more research on men in prison, men in the military, and men in general than we do on women for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/in-brief-we-do-more-research-on-men-in-prison-men-in-the-military-and/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [“Honest men in prison know that there is no such thing as "brainwashing" or "breaking." These expressions of self-delusion never find use behind bars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-stockdale/honest-men-in-prison-know-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-brainwashing/) [Jim Stockdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-stockdale/) > [Cast your whole vote, not a piece of paper merely, but your whole influence. A minority is powerless when it conforms to a majority;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/cast-your-whole-vote-not-a-piece-of-paper-merely-but-your-whole/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Men in prison are "civilly dead" and have no claim to any say in policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/men-in-prison-are-civilly-dead-and-have-no-claim-to-any-say-in-policy/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [We have seven and a half times as many people in prison. And we have eight times as many black women in prison now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/we-have-seven-and-a-half-times-as-many-people-in-prison-and-we-have/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [The unique problem for transgender women in prison is that our health and welfare are also the responsibility of those charged with overseeing us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/the-unique-problem-for-transgender-women-in-prison-is-that-our-health/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [There used to be very few women in prisons, but this changed with the introduction of the hudood laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asma-jahangir/there-used-to-be-very-few-women-in-prisons-but-this-changed-with-the/) [Asma Jahangir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asma-jahangir/) > [What would it take for you to acknowledge that race is an issue? Maybe you don't want to acknowledge that race is an issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morial/what-would-it-take-for-you-to-acknowledge-that-race-is-an-issue-maybe/) [Marc Morial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-morial/) > [If the alternative is to keep all just men in prison, or give up war and slavery, the State will not hesitate which to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-the-alternative-is-to-keep-all-just-men-in-prison-or-give-up-war/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-race-is-an-issue-that-i-believe-this-nation-cannot-afford-to/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [But then you say, Well, who makes the decision? Does the government make the decision? The reason this is such a national dispute and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-richardson/but-then-you-say-well-who-makes-the-decision-does-the-government-make/) [John H Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-richardson/) > [“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/the-only-reason-you-say-that-race-was-not-an-issue-is-because-you/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [It seemed that most women, because they had been caught, gave up on the movement and were just trying to pass the time until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/it-seemed-that-most-women-because-they-had-been-caught-gave-up-on-the/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) ## More by Bruce Barcott > [The mountain receives our expressions and becomes part of us; we imprint our memories upon it and trust it with out dearest divisions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/the-mountain-receives-our-expressions-and-becomes-part-of-us-we/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [We know people by their stories: their history, their habits, their secrets, their triumphs and failures. We know them by what they do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/we-know-people-by-their-stories-their-history-their-habits-their/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [“Civilization proceeds in a direction opposite from everything mountains represent: starvation, hardship, coldness, the constant scramble to survive...People used to avoid mountains, but now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/civilization-proceeds-in-a-direction-opposite-from-everything/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [A gripper of a read . . . Silence revives the cliff’s-edge drama of those Jazz age climbs and drives home the tragedy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/a-gripper-of-a-read-silence-revives-the-cliff-s-edge-drama-of-those/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [“This is how I think of Mount Rainier, not as an icon of permanence but as a source of relentless change, a mountain forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/this-is-how-i-think-of-mount-rainier-not-as-an-icon-of-permanence-but/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [ The thing that I still come back away with is how close so many people feel to the mountain \[Mt. Rainier\] emotionally and psychically,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/the-thing-that-i-still-come-back-away-with-is-how-close-so-many/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) > [This is what we see when we look up at Rainier, the beauty, the horror, the awe the unbelievability of size that confirms our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-barcott/this-is-what-we-see-when-we-look-up-at-rainier-the-beauty-the-horror/) [Bruce Barcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) [Explore all 8 Bruce Barcott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-barcott/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) [Elizabeth Tambascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tambascio/) > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This is not about you. 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