--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are a democracy and we don't believe…" description: "\"We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting down gangsters and killing them. We believe in trying to find the gangsters and bring them back..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/cornel-west-708_believe_we-are-a-democracy-and-we-don-t-believe_2664797.jpg" --- # We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting… ![“We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting down gangsters and killing them. We believe in trying to find the gangsters and bring them back for trial, and give them a trial under rule of law. That's what democracies do.” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/cornel-west-708_believe_we-are-a-democracy-and-we-don-t-believe_2664797.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/cornel-west-708_believe_we-are-a-democracy-and-we-don-t-believe_2664797.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ab/cornel-west-708_believe_we-are-a-democracy-and-we-don-t-believe_2664797.jpg) > “We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting down gangsters and killing them. We believe in trying to find the gangsters and bring them back for trial, and give them a trial under rule of law. That's what democracies do.” [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Affirms democratic values of due process over extrajudicial punishment. **In simple terms:** Democracies uphold law for all. Key Takeaway Support legal justice over vigilante action. Themes justice democracy law Mood thoughtful serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - policy debate - community activism - legal reform Key Concepts rule of law human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can societies improve fair trials? - What safeguards prevent abuse of power? A Different Perspective May underestimate challenges of legal systems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-don-421175/) [Don't believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-believe/) [Gangsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gangsters/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hunting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunting/) [Hunting Gangsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hunting-gangsters-2456646/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Law Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-democracies-2456645/) [Rule of law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rule-of-law/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that all of us have gangster proclivities and greedy orientations that need accountability. That's why democracies are necessary. We have to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-believe-that-all-of-us-have-gangster-proclivities-and-greedy/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Democracies stand on several key pillars: Free and fair elections, human rights, the rule of law, and a free untrammeled media. Until 2016, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toomas-hendrik-ilves/democracies-stand-on-several-key-pillars-free-and-fair-elections/) [Toomas Hendrik Ilves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toomas-hendrik-ilves/) > [I want people to understand that, look, we're in a period of democratic deficit, democratic recession. There are fewer democracies in the world today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/i-want-people-to-understand-that-look-we-re-in-a-period-of-democratic/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [The American political scientist Francis Fukuyama has argued that liberal democracies, with their political freedom and economic success, have three important pillars: a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghuram-rajan/the-american-political-scientist-francis-fukuyama-has-argued-that/) [Raghuram Rajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghuram-rajan/) > [I do believe that not just the churches but strong communities, strong trade unions, strong families can make a difference in terms of producing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-do-believe-that-not-just-the-churches-but-strong-communities-strong/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I was a gangster when I was young. I had a Robin Hood mentality and tended to always want to support the weak against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-was-a-gangster-when-i-was-young-i-had-a-robin-hood-mentality-and/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I'm not romanticizing black people, because we've got gangsters like everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-m-not-romanticizing-black-people-because-we-ve-got-gangsters-like/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [In a democracy, if you don't get the votes, nothing else is possible, no matter how wonderful your dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-kohl/in-a-democracy-if-you-don-t-get-the-votes-nothing-else-is-possible-no/) [Helmut Kohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-kohl/) > [I lived in countries that had no democracy... so I don't find myself in the same luxury as you do. You grew up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-lived-in-countries-that-had-no-democracy-so-i-don-t-find-myself-in/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) > [“Naturally they all believe the Colonel is responsible for their salvation—who else could it be but Don Eli? This rankles greatly but I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/naturally-they-all-believe-the-colonel-is-responsible-for-their/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Socialism's not a word that I use. I say 'social democracy' because I don't think the government needs to own all the means of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cunliffe/socialism-s-not-a-word-that-i-use-i-say-social-democracy-because-i/) [David Cunliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cunliffe/) > [If we don't have an informed electorate we don't have a democracy. So I don't care how people get the information, as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lehrer/if-we-don-t-have-an-informed-electorate-we-don-t-have-a-democracy-so/) [Jim Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lehrer/) > [You can't have a free democracy if you don't have a free media that can provide vital and independent information to the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/you-can-t-have-a-free-democracy-if-you-don-t-have-a-free-media-that/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [In a democracy, you don't need anyone's permission to form a new political party, publish a politically charged article, or organize a 'tea party.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-hamel/in-a-democracy-you-don-t-need-anyone-s-permission-to-form-a-new/) [Gary Hamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-hamel/) > [Let's not pretend we have too much of a democracy here, because we don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-van-zandt/let-s-not-pretend-we-have-too-much-of-a-democracy-here-because-we-don/) [Steven Van Zandt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-van-zandt/) ## More by Cornel West > [There has certainly been ugly, right-wing hatred targeting Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/there-has-certainly-been-ugly-right-wing-hatred-targeting-barack-obama/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I feel as if I have been blessed to undergo a transformation from 'gangster' to 'redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-feel-as-if-i-have-been-blessed-to-undergo-a-transformation-from/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [“Like King, we need to put on our cemetery clothes and be coffin-ready for the next great democratic battle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/like-king-we-need-to-put-on-our-cemetery-clothes-and-be-coffin-ready/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [ “You can't really move forward until you look back. \[From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you-look-back-from-remaking/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [When we think of globalization we are thinking in part of structures and institutions that have been developed over time and that have allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/when-we-think-of-globalization-we-are-thinking-in-part-of-structures/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge artists face today is whether to be an underground, unheard genius, or to dilute their art for the marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-challenge-artists-face-today-is-whether-to-be-an-underground/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The need of black conservatives to gain the respect of their white peers deeply shapes certain elements of their conservatism. In this regard, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-need-of-black-conservatives-to-gain-the-respect-of-their-white/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [For me, musicians are poets. Beethoven describes himself as a poet of tones, just like Coltrane's a poet of tempo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/for-me-musicians-are-poets-beethoven-describes-himself-as-a-poet-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [I don't draw any distinctions between forms of bigotry or forms of ideology that lose sight of the humanity of people. I can't stand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-don-t-draw-any-distinctions-between-forms-of-bigotry-or-forms-of/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Barack Obama has domesticated the left in such a way that we feel as if we have no alternative but him...I refuse to accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/barack-obama-has-domesticated-the-left-in-such-a-way-that-we-feel-as/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Larry Summers, I think, he had a long history of arrogance and relative ignorance about poor people's culture and working people's culture and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/larry-summers-i-think-he-had-a-long-history-of-arrogance-and-relative/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/the-greatest-gift-you-can-give-someone-is-the-gift-of-inspiration/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/you-can-see-it-in-terms-of-the-obsession-on-wall-street-with-not-just/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Anybody who takes Martin Luther King seriously has got to go beyond the standard understanding of who he was, has to connect those dots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/anybody-who-takes-martin-luther-king-seriously-has-got-to-go-beyond/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) [Explore all 400 Cornel West quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are a democracy and we don't believe in just hunting down gangsters and killing them. We believe in trying to find the gangsters and bring them back for trial, and give them a trial under rule of law. 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