---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason is, because it’s of more…"
description: "\"“The reason is, because it’s of more importance to community, that innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt should be punished.”\" — David ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png"
---

#  The reason is, because it’s of more importance to…

![“The reason is, because it’s of more importance to community, that innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt should be punished.” quote by David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png)

> ““The reason is, because it’s of more importance to community, that innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt should be punished.””

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Protecting innocence is more vital to community health than punishing guilt, emphasizing prevention over retribution.

**In simple terms:** Protect innocence over punish guilt for community health.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize safeguarding the innocent.

Themes

justice community prevention

Mood

serious hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- child welfare
- criminal justice reform
- education policy
- public health initiatives

Key Concepts

ethical theory social welfare legal philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies balance protection and accountability?
- What systems best prevent harm before it occurs?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on innocence may overlook accountability.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Community Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-innocence-777578/) [Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/) [Guilt Punished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt-punished-777581/) [Innocence Protected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocence-protected-777580/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Protected Guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protected-guilt-777579/) [Regret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regret/)

## Related quotes

> [It's of more importance to community that innocence should be protected than it is that guilt should be punished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/it-s-of-more-importance-to-community-that-innocence-should-be/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [It is more important that innocence be protected than it is that guilt be punished, for guilt and crimes are so frequent in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/it-is-more-important-that-innocence-be-protected-than-it-is-that/)

[John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/)

> [Dont make yourself victim of inner guilt . t deprive you of your strength & confidence. Guilt feeling makes bearing shameful memories, being unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dranil-kr-sinha/dont-make-yourself-victim-of-inner-guilt-t-deprive-you-of-your/)

[DrAnil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dranil-kr-sinha/)

> [“No. It would help if I were able to feel guilty.But the end of innocence is also the end of guilt”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/no-it-would-help-if-i-were-able-to-feel-guilty-but-the-end-of/)

[James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/)

> [I had children very young. You go through a period of immense guilt about being a working mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adena-friedman/i-had-children-very-young-you-go-through-a-period-of-immense-guilt/)

[Adena Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adena-friedman/)

> [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/)

[Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/)

> [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/)

[Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/)

> [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/)

[Gensoumaden Saiyuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gensoumaden-saiyuki/)

> [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/)

[Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/)

> [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/)

[Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/)

## More by David McCullough

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Steamboats by this time were becoming a familiar presence on the rivers and coastal waters of America, but not until 1838 did steam-powered ships…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/steamboats-by-this-time-were-becoming-a-familiar-presence-on-the/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [I feel that history is in many ways the most important of all subjects because it is about everything and because it's about who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-feel-that-history-is-in-many-ways-the-most-important-of-all/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Even mighty states and kingdoms are not exempted. If we look into history, we shall find some nations rising from contemptible beginnings and spreading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/even-mighty-states-and-kingdoms-are-not-exempted-if-we-look-into/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/history-isn-t-just-what-happened-but-what-happened-to-whom-and-why/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [Nobody ever lived in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nobody-ever-lived-in-the-past/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Only TR openly declared his love for the job. “Nobody ever enjoyed the presidency as I did,” he boasted, and by all evidence that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/only-tr-openly-declared-his-love-for-the-job-nobody-ever-enjoyed-the/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“s ships Phoenix and Rose, in the company of three tenders, cast off their moorings at Staten Island and started up the harbor under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/s-ships-phoenix-and-rose-in-the-company-of-three-tenders-cast-off/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“a people may let a King fall, yet still remain a people, but if a King let his people slip from him, he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/a-people-may-let-a-king-fall-yet-still-remain-a-people-but-if-a-king/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [Why limit yourself to the experience of your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your biological clock, when the whole realm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/why-limit-yourself-to-the-experience-of-your-own-relatively-brief/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“He worked at a plain, tall desk at which he wrote standing up or perched on a high stool,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/he-worked-at-a-plain-tall-desk-at-which-he-wrote-standing-up-or/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Nothing happens in isolation. Everything that happens has consequences. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/nothing-happens-in-isolation-everything-that-happens-has-consequences/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [America faces an enemy who believes in enforced ignorance. And all that we stand for is the open mind, the generous spirit, the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/america-faces-an-enemy-who-believes-in-enforced-ignorance-and-all/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-shorthand-answer-is-that-i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-book-that-i/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [“Seen under the microscope, Stegomyia is a creature of striking beauty. Its general color is dark gray, but the thorax is marked with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/seen-under-the-microscope-stegomyia-is-a-creature-of-striking-beauty/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

[Explore all 291 David McCullough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

## More Guilt quotes

> [Never fight on the wrong side; you might win but the burden of guilt is more than a loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilian-salan/never-fight-on-the-wrong-side-you-might-win-but-the-burden-of-guilt/)

[Lilian Salan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilian-salan/)

> [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/)

[Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/)

> [“Even in the miserable guilt we feel over our beastlike insensitivity, the glory of God shines. If God were not gloriously desirable, why would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/even-in-the-miserable-guilt-we-feel-over-our-beastlike-insensitivity/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/)

[Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/)

> [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/)

[Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/)

> [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/)

[Gensoumaden Saiyuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gensoumaden-saiyuki/)

> [(I)f we are going to be kind, let it be out of simple generosity, not because we fear guilt or retribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-f-we-are-going-to-be-kind-let-it-be-out-of-simple-generosity-not/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Food ... love ... mother ... career ... Live every day to the fullest. Partake of the four basic guilt groups.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/food-love-mother-career-live-every-day-to-the-fullest-partake-of-the/)

[Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/)

> [Anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anger-was-better-than-tears-better-than-grief-better-than-guilt/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Phil and Hannah had decided that Christian guilt was better than bad math”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhoda-janzen/phil-and-hannah-had-decided-that-christian-guilt-was-better-than-bad/)

[rhoda janzen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhoda-janzen/)

> [No amount of guilt can solve the past & No amount of anxiety can change the future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananymous/no-amount-of-guilt-can-solve-the-past-no-amount-of-anxiety-can-change/)

[Ananymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananymous/)

> [The essence of having fun is enjoying without guilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-having-fun-is-enjoying-without-guilt/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/)

[Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/)

[Browse all 2,943 Guilt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilt/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The reason is, because it’s of more importance to community, that innocence should be protected, than it is, that guilt should be punished.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David McCullough"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-importance-to-community-that/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Guilt"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-importance-to-community-that/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/david-mccullough-1091_guilt_the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-impor_647212.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The reason is, because it’s of more importance to community, that innocence should be protected, than it is…” — David McCullough",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David McCullough",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The reason is, because it’s of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-importance-to-community-that/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/the-reason-is-because-it-s-of-more-importance-to-community-that/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```