--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagine the National Guard being called…" description: "\"Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of peaceful people. How far can we get; how disgraceful can it become? It's the most disgracefu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/cesar-chavez-2137_disgraceful_imagine-the-national-guard-being-called_2899400.png" --- # Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of… ![“Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of peaceful people. How far can we get; how disgraceful can it become? It's the most disgraceful, the most wicked thing I've seen in all my years of organizing farm labor.” quote by Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/cesar-chavez-2137_disgraceful_imagine-the-national-guard-being-called_2899400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/cesar-chavez-2137_disgraceful_imagine-the-national-guard-being-called_2899400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2de/cesar-chavez-2137_disgraceful_imagine-the-national-guard-being-called_2899400.png) > “Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of peaceful people. How far can we get; how disgraceful can it become? It's the most disgraceful, the most wicked thing I've seen in all my years of organizing farm labor.” [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Using force against peaceful people is morally corrupt and undermines legitimacy. **In simple terms:** Violence against non‑violence is disgraceful. Key Takeaway Reject violent suppression of peaceful protest. Themes justice non‑violence state power Mood defiant serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - protest - government response - public opinion Key Concepts civil rights labor organizing ethical leadership Questions to Reflect On - When does state power become oppression? - How can non‑violent tactics preserve moral high ground? A Different Perspective Force can backfire, eroding public support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disgraceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgraceful/) [Disgraceful Disgraceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgraceful-disgraceful-4115625/) [Disgraceful Wicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgraceful-wicked-4115626/) [Far Disgraceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far-disgraceful-4115627/) [Farm Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farm-labor-831656/) [Farms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farms/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagine/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [National guard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-guard/) [Non violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-violence/) [Peaceful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peaceful/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Wicked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wicked/) [Wicked things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wicked-things/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [There is no law for farm labor organizing, save the law of the jungle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/there-is-no-law-for-farm-labor-organizing-save-the-law-of-the-jungle/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“The farm labor movement saw him as a racist. He seemed to delight in the most outrageous snubs. Farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-bommersbach/the-farm-labor-movement-saw-him-as-a-racist-he-seemed-to-delight-in/) [Jana Bommersbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-bommersbach/) > [If Mexican farm labor is so much cheaper, maybe we should be growing our fruits and vegetables in Mexico. There's absolutely no reason to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/if-mexican-farm-labor-is-so-much-cheaper-maybe-we-should-be-growing/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [You could increase farmworker wages significantly and not change the price to the consumer at all - for instance, if you redistribute how revenue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-lappe/you-could-increase-farmworker-wages-significantly-and-not-change-the/) [Anna Lappe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-lappe/) > [Kings and queens might do wicked things, but they don't nag. One thing I like about Bloody Mary: she never said a word about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-king/kings-and-queens-might-do-wicked-things-but-they-don-t-nag-one-thing/) [Florence King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-king/) > [A lot of people think that Christianity is you doing all the righteous things you hate and avoiding all the wicked things you love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/a-lot-of-people-think-that-christianity-is-you-doing-all-the/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [“She was a wicked thing sometimes. All full of want. As if the shape of the world depended on her mood. As if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/she-was-a-wicked-thing-sometimes-all-full-of-want-as-if-the-shape-of/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [As long as the Children of Israel saw Pharaoh as a friend, they could not see Moses and Jehovah as their true friend. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-farrakhan/as-long-as-the-children-of-israel-saw-pharaoh-as-a-friend-they-could/) [Louis Farrakhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-farrakhan/) > [“And sometimes the things that were wicked become the things that save us, and the things that were good doom us to misery and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-barnhill/and-sometimes-the-things-that-were-wicked-become-the-things-that-save/) [Kelly Barnhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-barnhill/) > [Art is a wicked thing. It is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/art-is-a-wicked-thing-it-is-what-we-are/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [A Christian is not somebody who stays away from all the wicked things he loves and clings to all the righteous things he hates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/a-christian-is-not-somebody-who-stays-away-from-all-the-wicked-things/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [It is a wicked thing to be neutral between right and wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/it-is-a-wicked-thing-to-be-neutral-between-right-and-wrong/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [“The love of money can do wicked things to one's soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-haigler/the-love-of-money-can-do-wicked-things-to-one-s-soul/) [Jules Haigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-haigler/) > [Love makes us do wicked things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-donohue/love-makes-us-do-wicked-things/) [Keith Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-donohue/) > [Any political movement directed against any body of our fellow-citizens because of their religious creed is a grave offense against American principles and American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/any-political-movement-directed-against-any-body-of-our-fellow/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) ## More by Cesar Chavez > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [If you win non-violently, then you have a double victory, you have not only won your fight, but you remain free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/if-you-win-non-violently-then-you-have-a-double-victory-you-have-not/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/when-we-are-really-honest-with-ourselves-we-must-admit-our-lives-are/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [We know we cannot be kind to animals until we stop exploiting them -- exploiting animals in the name of science, exploiting animals in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-know-we-cannot-be-kind-to-animals-until-we-stop-exploiting-them/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Non-violence has suffered its biggest defeat in the hands of people who most want to talk about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/non-violence-has-suffered-its-biggest-defeat-in-the-hands-of-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [it is clearly evident that our path travels through a valley of teas well known to all farm workers, because in all valleys the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/it-is-clearly-evident-that-our-path-travels-through-a-valley-of-teas/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The people who give you their food give you their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-people-who-give-you-their-food-give-you-their-heart/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The name of the game is to talk to people. If you don't talk to people, you can't get started...You knock on twenty doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-name-of-the-game-is-to-talk-to-people-if-you-don-t-talk-to-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [...people think non-violence is really weak and non-militant. These are misconceptions that people have because they don't understand what non-violence means. Non-violence takes more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/people-think-non-violence-is-really-weak-and-non-militant-these-are/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [We shall strike. We shall organize boycotts. We shall demonstrate and have political campaigns. We shall pursue the revolution we have proposed. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-shall-strike-we-shall-organize-boycotts-we-shall-demonstrate-and/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [There are vivid memories from my childhood - what we had to go through because of low wages and the conditions, basically because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/there-are-vivid-memories-from-my-childhood-what-we-had-to-go-through/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Self dedication is a spiritual experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/self-dedication-is-a-spiritual-experience/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally nonviolent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/i-am-convinced-that-the-truest-act-of-courage-the-strongest-act-of/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/you-cannot-oppress-the-people-who-are-not-afraid-anymore/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When workers fall back on violence, they are lost. Oh, they might win some of their demands and might end a strike a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/when-workers-fall-back-on-violence-they-are-lost-oh-they-might-win/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) [Explore all 183 Cesar Chavez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) ## More Disgraceful quotes > [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [Film study was considered disgraceful by my father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ang-lee/film-study-was-considered-disgraceful-by-my-father/) [Ang Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ang-lee/) > [I think it is disgraceful. I think it is completely disgusting that you've got a candidate for prime minster who seems to think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/i-think-it-is-disgraceful-i-think-it-is-completely-disgusting-that/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“Justin Lazarus was without question a disgraceful fraud, but as his lips moved in silent prayer, Nathaniel could not help the thought that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-j-charles/justin-lazarus-was-without-question-a-disgraceful-fraud-but-as-his/) [K.J. Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-j-charles/) > [Lying is a disgraceful vice, and one that Plutarch paints in most disgraceful colors, when he says that it is "affording testimony that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/lying-is-a-disgraceful-vice-and-one-that-plutarch-paints-in-most/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [The Cold War in Africa is one of the darkest, most disgraceful pages in contemporary history, and everybody ought to be ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryszard-kapuscinski/the-cold-war-in-africa-is-one-of-the-darkest-most-disgraceful-pages/) [Ryszard Kapuscinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryszard-kapuscinski/) > [It is a most disgraceful shame the way in which Irishmen are brought up. They are ashamed of their language, institutions, and of everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-hyde/it-is-a-most-disgraceful-shame-the-way-in-which-irishmen-are-brought/) [Douglas Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-hyde/) > [Our mandate in Habitat for Humanity is to work diligently to help bring into being graceful communities, towns, and cities. his is so important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fuller/our-mandate-in-habitat-for-humanity-is-to-work-diligently-to-help/) [Millard Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fuller/) > [“It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay/it-is-too-true-however-disgraceful-it-may-be-to-human-nature-that/) [John Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay/) > [You cannot disgrace a disgraceful man; you cannot make a shameless man feel ashamed; you cannot make a cockroach a cockroach, because it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/you-cannot-disgrace-a-disgraceful-man-you-cannot-make-a-shameless-man/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [What's disgraceful is that any Tom, Dick and Harry can open up a clinic and administer Botox.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-solomon/what-s-disgraceful-is-that-any-tom-dick-and-harry-can-open-up-a/) [Stacey Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-solomon/) > [I have never been able to discover anything disgraceful in being a colored man. But I have often found it inconvenient - in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-williams/i-have-never-been-able-to-discover-anything-disgraceful-in-being-a/) [Bert Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-williams/) > [If the players aren't getting paid, there's something terribly, terribly wrong, and that's true only in the United States. Everywhere else, where money is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/if-the-players-aren-t-getting-paid-there-s-something-terribly/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [As to adultery, let it be held disgraceful, in general, for any man or woman to be found in any way unfaithful when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/as-to-adultery-let-it-be-held-disgraceful-in-general-for-any-man-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Mediocre people often have a tinge of religion about them, but it is only a tinge. They take their religion as it comes. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-dubay/mediocre-people-often-have-a-tinge-of-religion-about-them-but-it-is/) [Thomas Dubay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-dubay/) [Browse all 136 Disgraceful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgraceful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Imagine the National Guard being called against a group of peaceful people. How far can we get; how disgraceful can it become? 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