--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that it is my right and…" description: "\"I believe that it is my right and responsibility as an American to question our government when our government is wrong.\" — Cindy Sheehan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/cindy-sheehan-4928_american_i-believe-that-it-is-my-right-and-respon_2288994.png" --- # I believe that it is my right and responsibility as an… ![“I believe that it is my right and responsibility as an American to question our government when our government is wrong.” quote by Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/cindy-sheehan-4928_american_i-believe-that-it-is-my-right-and-respon_2288994.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/cindy-sheehan-4928_american_i-believe-that-it-is-my-right-and-respon_2288994.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/cindy-sheehan-4928_american_i-believe-that-it-is-my-right-and-respon_2288994.png) > “I believe that it is my right and responsibility as an American to question our government when our government is wrong.” [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans should question government when it errs, as a civic duty. **In simple terms:** Question government when wrong. Key Takeaway Exercise civic responsibility. Themes civic duty government accountability activism Mood determined urgent Type political ethical When to use this quote - voting - peaceful protest - public debate Key Concepts democratic theory political ethics Questions to Reflect On - When is dissent justified? - How to balance loyalty and critique? A Different Perspective May be seen as unpatriotic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-question-3533912/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-wrong-427464/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [I believe that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe-that/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Question Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question-government-1256788/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Responsibility American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility-american-3463822/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Right Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-responsibility-1232021/) [Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that it is my right and responsibility as an American to question our government when our government is wrong. I'm not one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-believe-that-it-is-my-right-and-responsibility-as-an-american-to-2/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Giving people like me a green card, a passport, and a driver's license? That's not going to be the end of the immigration conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/giving-people-like-me-a-green-card-a-passport-and-a-driver-s-license/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [A fundamental American question is, 'What's the big idea?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/a-fundamental-american-question-is-what-s-the-big-idea/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Yes, I did feel a special responsibility to be the first American woman in space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/yes-i-did-feel-a-special-responsibility-to-be-the-first-american/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [We're just trying to figure out what being a good citizen is, what participating in a democracy is, what taking responsibility for being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-mcmillan/we-re-just-trying-to-figure-out-what-being-a-good-citizen-is-what/) [Cecily McMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-mcmillan/) > [It sounds funny, but I felt that my responsibility as an American actor was to let the British know we can act as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-murray-abraham/it-sounds-funny-but-i-felt-that-my-responsibility-as-an-american/) [F. Murray Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-murray-abraham/) > [No president ever puts American lives at risk without a terrible sense of responsibility. And no American ever hears or reads of a soldier’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/no-president-ever-puts-american-lives-at-risk-without-a-terrible/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [“It is not until one visits old, oppressed, suffering Europe, that he can appreciate his own government, "he observed, "that he realizes the fearful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/it-is-not-until-one-visits-old-oppressed-suffering-europe-that-he-can/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/if-we-are-to-guard-against-ignorance-and-remain-free-it-is-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Let's just do what is right for the American people. And those of us who are involved in politics and government know that our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/let-s-just-do-what-is-right-for-the-american-people-and-those-of-us/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The Democratic Party has learned from the terrible mistakes of the past. Our platform requires that we honor, fulfill, and strengthen the federal government's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perez/the-democratic-party-has-learned-from-the-terrible-mistakes-of-the/) [Tom Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perez/) > [Is it not possible that an individual may be right and a government wrong? Are laws to be enforced simply because they were made?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/is-it-not-possible-that-an-individual-may-be-right-and-a-government/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Not once in my life has the Tory Party come anywhere close to winning an election in Scotland, and yet, for more than half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/not-once-in-my-life-has-the-tory-party-come-anywhere-close-to-winning/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [The weather is like the government, always in the wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-k-jerome/the-weather-is-like-the-government-always-in-the-wrong/) [Jerome K. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-k-jerome/) > [Real patriotism is a willingness to challenge the government when it's wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/real-patriotism-is-a-willingness-to-challenge-the-government-when-it/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) ## More by Cindy Sheehan > [We're not going to cure terrorism and spread peace and goodwill in the Middle East by killing innocent people, or I'm not even saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/we-re-not-going-to-cure-terrorism-and-spread-peace-and-goodwill-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [“Casey was a faithful Christian filled with the spirit of the Christ; George is a hypocrite who says he is a Christian but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/casey-was-a-faithful-christian-filled-with-the-spirit-of-the-christ/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I feel like I gave my son to this country in an illegal and immoral war. I'll never get him back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-feel-like-i-gave-my-son-to-this-country-in-an-illegal-and-immoral/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Let's push the Pentagon off the fiscal cliff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/let-s-push-the-pentagon-off-the-fiscal-cliff/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [If the people of America do not rise up, take ownership of our country, we're going to lose it forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/if-the-people-of-america-do-not-rise-up-take-ownership-of-our-country/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I think some of the people on the Left... were extremely jealous of me getting what they thought was all of the attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-think-some-of-the-people-on-the-left-were-extremely-jealous-of-me/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Loyalty to the true, core values and roots of democracy is what makes a true patriot, not loyalty to a symbol of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/loyalty-to-the-true-core-values-and-roots-of-democracy-is-what-makes/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [58% of the American public are with us. We're preaching to the choir, but the choir's not singing, if all of the 58% started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/58-of-the-american-public-are-with-us-we-re-preaching-to-the-choir/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [Everything I say comes from my heart - and it's the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/everything-i-say-comes-from-my-heart-and-it-s-the-truth/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [So what really gets me is these chickenhawks, who sent our kids to die, without ever serving in a war themselves. They don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/so-what-really-gets-me-is-these-chickenhawks-who-sent-our-kids-to-die/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I was told my son was killed in the war on terror. He was killed by George Bush's war of terror on the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-was-told-my-son-was-killed-in-the-war-on-terror-he-was-killed-by/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [I can't speak for the other people whose children have died, but I can speak for my family and the other members of Gold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-can-t-speak-for-the-other-people-whose-children-have-died-but-i-can/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [It's up to us, the people, to break immoral laws, and resist. 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But how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/i-love-my-country-but-how-many-more-of-our-loved-ones-need-to-die-in/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) [Explore all 105 Cindy Sheehan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. 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