---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America, not Keith Ellison, decides what…"
description: "\"America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on,\" — Dennis Prager"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg"
---

#  America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a…

![“America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on,” quote by Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg)

> “America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on,”

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker asserts that the United States, not any individual politician, determines which book a congressman should use for his oath, emphasizing national sovereignty over personal preference.

**In simple terms:** America decides the oath book, not a single lawmaker.

Key Takeaway

Collective national decision outweighs individual influence.

Themes

politics national identity civic tradition authority

Mood

assertive patriotic

Type

political civic

When to use this quote

- Congressional oath ceremonies
- public debates on civic symbols

Key Concepts

symbolic representation

Practical Applications

- establish a standardized oath text
- educate citizens on historical oath choices

Questions to Reflect On

- Why does the choice of an oath book matter?
- How do symbolic acts reflect national values?

A Different Perspective

The statement may ignore the role of individual legislators in shaping symbolic choices.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Congressman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congressman/) [Oath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oath/)

## Related quotes

> [The president of the United States, on Inauguration Day, takes an oath to faithfully execute the laws. Those are the laws that are passed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/the-president-of-the-united-states-on-inauguration-day-takes-an-oath/)

[Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/)

> [Once Donald Trump takes the oath of office as president of the United States, the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution makes it clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-todd/once-donald-trump-takes-the-oath-of-office-as-president-of-the-united/)

[Chuck Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-todd/)

> [I also wish that the Pledge of Allegiance were directed at the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as it is when the President…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-also-wish-that-the-pledge-of-allegiance-were-directed-at-the/)

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

> [When a man takes an oath... he's holding his own self in his own hands. Like water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bolt/when-a-man-takes-an-oath-he-s-holding-his-own-self-in-his-own-hands/)

[Robert Bolt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bolt/)

> [The person who takes the oath of office in the next four months will shape not just the next four years, but the next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahm-emanuel/the-person-who-takes-the-oath-of-office-in-the-next-four-months-will/)

[Rahm Emanuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahm-emanuel/)

> [A candidate is not going to suddenly change once they get into office. Just the opposite, in fact. Because the minute that individual takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/a-candidate-is-not-going-to-suddenly-change-once-they-get-into-office/)

[Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/)

> [He who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States only assumes the solemn obligation which every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-cleveland/he-who-takes-the-oath-today-to-preserve-protect-and-defend-the/)

[Grover Cleveland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-cleveland/)

> [“When she emerged, Keith was watching the tiny round window of the under-the-counter washing machine. "Put your clothes in for a wash," he said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/when-she-emerged-keith-was-watching-the-tiny-round-window-of-the/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

> [In 1965, when great young white artists in the English-speaking world were successfully re-channeling hillbilly and black music - you know Bob Dylan, Ray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/in-1965-when-great-young-white-artists-in-the-english-speaking-world/)

[Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/)

> [I also became inspired by impressionist painters such as Renoir, and wanted to do the same sort of thing with music-portray whatever mood strikes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-breau/i-also-became-inspired-by-impressionist-painters-such-as-renoir-and/)

Lenny Breau

> [Keith Ellison is an organizer's organizer.He's one of the only Muslims in Congress, so you have a big statement there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/keith-ellison-is-an-organizer-s-organizer-he-s-one-of-the-only/)

[Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/)

> [It's like in the Bible.You can't always get what you want, but if you really need something, you usually find it." "What part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/it-s-like-in-the-bible-you-can-t-always-get-what-you-want-but-if-you/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

> [Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, "Mmm. O positive, my favorite." Keith sprayed out the wine he'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/keith-was-just-bringing-the-glass-to-his-lips-when-adrian-said-mmm-o/)

[Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/)

> [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [“Most of the time they buy what other people buy. They move in great schools, like bluefish, all identical. There is safety in numbers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hughes/most-of-the-time-they-buy-what-other-people-buy-they-move-in-great/)

[Robert Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hughes/)

## More by Dennis Prager

> [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Nothing more guarantees the erosion of character than getting something for nothing. In the liberal welfare state, one develops an entitlement mentality. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/nothing-more-guarantees-the-erosion-of-character-than-getting/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [The biggest battle in life is with yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-biggest-battle-in-life-is-with-yourself/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [The problem for the Left, however, is that the moment it stops painting the Right as vile, it has to argue the issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-problem-for-the-left-however-is-that-the-moment-it-stops-painting/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [The Left will destroy what is good to try to make what is perfect. That is the motto of the Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-left-will-destroy-what-is-good-to-try-to-make-what-is-perfect/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [“The poor who commit murder, rape and robbery are not only not starving, they have far more material things than the word ‘poverty’ suggests.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-poor-who-commit-murder-rape-and-robbery-are-not-only-not-starving/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [“When it comes to fighting evil, the left is almost pacifist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/when-it-comes-to-fighting-evil-the-left-is-almost-pacifist/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [When you are guaranteed you will win, you can take very inflammatory, very extreme positions. If you have to run in a district where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/when-you-are-guaranteed-you-will-win-you-can-take-very-inflammatory/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [ If they \[liberals\] didn't believe we were mean spirited they couldn't stay liberal. They have to believe they mean better than us, but we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/if-they-liberals-didn-t-believe-we-were-mean-spirited-they-couldn-t/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [“From Marx until today, victim groups have played an indispensable role in Leftist success. Without victim groups, the Left cannot succeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/from-marx-until-today-victim-groups-have-played-an-indispensable-role/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Good and happy people who believe in God are the greatest living arguments for God's existence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/good-and-happy-people-who-believe-in-god-are-the-greatest-living/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Leftism and narcissism are almost synonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/leftism-and-narcissism-are-almost-synonymous/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [Humility is a fantastic trait and is one of the most important things we can have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/humility-is-a-fantastic-trait-and-is-one-of-the-most-important-things/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [There is no limit to suffering human beings have been willing to inflict on others, no matter how innocent, no matter how young, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-no-limit-to-suffering-human-beings-have-been-willing-to/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [The bigger the State, the smaller the citizen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-bigger-the-state-the-smaller-the-citizen/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

[Explore all 437 Dennis Prager quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

## More America quotes

> [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/)

[Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/)

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/)

[Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/)

> [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

[Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on,",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dennis Prager"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-book-a-congressman-takes-his/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "America"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-book-a-congressman-takes-his/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/191/dennis-prager-631_america_america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-b_110668.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“America, not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on,” — Dennis Prager",
                "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": "Dennis Prager",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "America, not Keith Ellison, decides what...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-book-a-congressman-takes-his/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/america-not-keith-ellison-decides-what-book-a-congressman-takes-his/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
