--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy is not something we have. It's…" description: "\"Democracy is not something we have. It's something we do.\" — Doris \"Granny D\" Haddock" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/doris-granny-d-haddock-43938_democracy_democracy-is-not-something-we-have-it-s_1348975.png" --- # Democracy is not something we have. It's something we do. ![“Democracy is not something we have. It's something we do.” quote by Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/doris-granny-d-haddock-43938_democracy_democracy-is-not-something-we-have-it-s_1348975.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/doris-granny-d-haddock-43938_democracy_democracy-is-not-something-we-have-it-s_1348975.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/doris-granny-d-haddock-43938_democracy_democracy-is-not-something-we-have-it-s_1348975.png) > “Democracy is not something we have. It's something we do.” [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy requires active participation, not passive ownership. **In simple terms:** Democracy is an action, not a possession. Key Takeaway Engage actively in democratic processes. Themes democracy citizenship participation Mood empowering serious Type civic inspirational When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - public deliberation - advocacy Key Concepts civic duty collective action political agency Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take to strengthen democracy? - How does your involvement shape outcomes? A Different Perspective Active participation can be limited by systemic barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I want to thank each and every one of you for having extinguished yourselves this session.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gib-lewis/i-want-to-thank-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-having-extinguished/) [Gib Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gib-lewis/) > [Trends that can't continue, won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-stein/trends-that-can-t-continue-won-t/) [Herbert Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-stein/) > [Writing thats not working for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-asprin/writing-thats-not-working-for-a-living/) [Robert Asprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-asprin/) > [You don’t read or overhear the voice in the poem, you are the voice in the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/you-don-t-read-or-overhear-the-voice-in-the-poem-you-are-the-voice-in/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [There’s always time for babbling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/there-s-always-time-for-babbling/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/decide-v-i-to-succumb-to-the-preponderance-of-one-set-of-influences/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) Michael Fishman > [If you can connect people, you can create the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-heiferman/if-you-can-connect-people-you-can-create-the-future/) [Scott Heiferman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-heiferman/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [Why are things as they are and not otherwise?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-kepler/why-are-things-as-they-are-and-not-otherwise/) [Johannes Kepler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-kepler/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) ## More by Doris "Granny D" Haddock > [Do you realize that $150 billion of our tax money is given to the corporations, unions and wealthy people for tax breaks, special subsidies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/do-you-realize-that-150-billion-of-our-tax-money-is-given-to-the/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [Courage is freedom, and freedom is joy. Be fully who you are, letting the world get used to you - it will! Find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/courage-is-freedom-and-freedom-is-joy-be-fully-who-you-are-letting/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [If we Americans are split into two meaningful camps, it is not conservative versus liberal. The two camps are the politically awake and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/if-we-americans-are-split-into-two-meaningful-camps-it-is-not/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [Think of the millions of young men who died fighting for democracy. We spit on their graves when we let democracy slip away into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/think-of-the-millions-of-young-men-who-died-fighting-for-democracy-we/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [Small towns make up for their lack of people by having everyone be more interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/small-towns-make-up-for-their-lack-of-people-by-having-everyone-be/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [Just as an unbalanced mind can accumulate stresses that can grow and take on a life of their own, so little decisions of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/just-as-an-unbalanced-mind-can-accumulate-stresses-that-can-grow-and/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [We have a duty to look after each other. If we lose control of our government, then we lose our ability to dispense justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/we-have-a-duty-to-look-after-each-other-if-we-lose-control-of-our/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) > [Never be discouraged from being an activist because people tell you that you'll not succeed. You have already succeeded if you're out there representing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-granny-d-haddock/never-be-discouraged-from-being-an-activist-because-people-tell-you/) [Doris "Granny D" Haddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) [Explore all 9 Doris "Granny D" Haddock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-granny-d-haddock/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy is not something we have. 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