--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With me it was that defending the…" description: "\"With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names. I did not want to remain a martyr to something that I abso..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png" --- # With me it was that defending the Communist Party was… ![“With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names. I did not want to remain a martyr to something that I absolutely believed was immoral and wrong. It's as simple as that.” quote by Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png) > “With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names. I did not want to remain a martyr to something that I absolutely believed was immoral and wrong. It's as simple as that.” [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He preferred not to name names, seeing defending the Party as immoral, choosing personal integrity over martyrdom. **In simple terms:** He refused to betray others, valuing morality over party loyalty. Key Takeaway Stand by personal ethics even under pressure. Themes integrity politics morality courage Mood reflective serious Type ethical political When to use this quote - whistleblowing - political activism - career decisions - public statements Key Concepts ethical dilemmas political pressure personal conscience Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified to protect others by naming names? - How do you balance personal safety with moral duty? A Different Perspective Risk of personal and professional fallout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Communist party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist-party/) [Martyr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/martyr/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) ## Related quotes > [With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse-2/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [“Politically, he was a humanitarian who did know right from left and was trapped uncomfortably between the two. He was constantly defending his Communist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/politically-he-was-a-humanitarian-who-did-know-right-from-left-and/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Over the years, there have been a series of concepts developed to justify the use of force in international affairs for a long period.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/over-the-years-there-have-been-a-series-of-concepts-developed-to/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“He was constantly defending his Communist friends to his right-wing enemies and his right-wing friends to his Communist enemies, and he was thoroughly detested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/he-was-constantly-defending-his-communist-friends-to-his-right-wing/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Hollywood's martyr-mythology leaves out the fact that the famed Hollywood Ten, for example, were in fact members of the Communist Party, which advocated the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/hollywood-s-martyr-mythology-leaves-out-the-fact-that-the-famed/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [You know the more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-know-the-more-you-read-and-observe-about-this-politics-thing-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-read-and-observe-about-this-politics-thing-the-more-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-more-you-read-and-observe-about-this-politics-thing-you-got-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I knew that however bad the Republican party was, the Democratic party was much worse. The elements of which the Republican party was composed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-knew-that-however-bad-the-republican-party-was-the-democratic-party/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I believed that I was being forced to sacrifice my family and my career in defense of the Communist Party, from which I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/i-believed-that-i-was-being-forced-to-sacrifice-my-family-and-my/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/the-state-department-is-infested-with-communists-i-have-here-in-my/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [ \[American Communist Party\] legally exists in the U.S.A., it nominates its candidates in the elections, including Presidential elections. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/american-communist-party-legally-exists-in-the-u-s-a-it-nominates-its/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [My father said he was going to write to the Jinzhou City Party Committee asking for permission to 'talk about love'...My mother supposed it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jung-chang/my-father-said-he-was-going-to-write-to-the-jinzhou-city-party/) [Jung Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jung-chang/) > [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) ## More by Edward Dmytryk > [The 'human situation,' in all its guises, is what good films are all about, and technical skill counts for nothing if it is used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/the-human-situation-in-all-its-guises-is-what-good-films-are-all/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [The films dramatic requirements should always take precedence over the mere aesthetics of editing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/the-films-dramatic-requirements-should-always-take-precedence-over/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [I only knew a few people, literally a handful of people, al of whom had been in the Party long before I was, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/i-only-knew-a-few-people-literally-a-handful-of-people-al-of-whom-had/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [In art, the obvious is a sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/in-art-the-obvious-is-a-sin/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [I knew that if it ever got down to a choice between the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/i-knew-that-if-it-ever-got-down-to-a-choice-between-the-party-and-our/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse-2/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [The only reason for using another cut is to improve the scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/the-only-reason-for-using-another-cut-is-to-improve-the-scene/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [Technical skill counts for nothing if it is used only to manufacture films which have little to do with humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/technical-skill-counts-for-nothing-if-it-is-used-only-to-manufacture/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [Not a single person I named hadn't already been named at least a half-dozen times and wasn't already on he blacklist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/not-a-single-person-i-named-hadn-t-already-been-named-at-least-a-half/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [I believed that I was being forced to sacrifice my family and my career in defense of the Communist Party, from which I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/i-believed-that-i-was-being-forced-to-sacrifice-my-family-and-my/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [The film's dramatic requirements should always take precedence over the mere aesthetics of editing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/the-film-s-dramatic-requirements-should-always-take-precedence-over/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) > [I was surprised to see the meeting was of Communists and the whole meeting was along Communist lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/i-was-surprised-to-see-the-meeting-was-of-communists-and-the-whole/) [Edward Dmytryk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) [Explore all 13 Edward Dmytryk quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/) ## More Communist quotes > [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) > [If the director's a communist, whatever, he's a communist. All I care is that he directs. For the actor, the same thing. All you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/if-the-director-s-a-communist-whatever-he-s-a-communist-all-i-care-is/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [The most effective method of propaganda directed at the enemy forces is to release captured soldiers and give the wounded medical treatment... Whenever soldiers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mao-zedong/the-most-effective-method-of-propaganda-directed-at-the-enemy-forces/) [Mao Zedong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mao-zedong/) > [I am like all other atheists only in that I do not believe there are any gods. Beyond that, I may differ dramatically in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carrier/i-am-like-all-other-atheists-only-in-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are/) [Richard Carrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carrier/) > [What we need in South Africa is for egos to be suppressed in favour of peace. We need to create a new breed of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hani/what-we-need-in-south-africa-is-for-egos-to-be-suppressed-in-favour/) [Chris Hani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hani/) > [A man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still communist at the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/a-man-who-is-not-a-communist-at-the-age-of-twenty-is-a-fool-any-man/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [The ultimate goal of the whole policy of peaceful co-existence was to make progress on the basic goal laid down by Lenin of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-nitze/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-whole-policy-of-peaceful-co-existence-was-to/) [Paul Nitze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-nitze/) > [“Soviet Communism was a fanatical and missionary religion. A devout Communist could not be a Christian or a Buddhist, and was expected to spread…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/soviet-communism-was-a-fanatical-and-missionary-religion-a-devout/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [ That's why we had Louis C.K. portray the harder line Communist, to accuse \[Dalton\] Trumbo of being a hypocrite. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/that-s-why-we-had-louis-c-k-portray-the-harder-line-communist-to/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [... what we should be looking for is fresh ideas of how we make moral decisions about our dealings with one another, economic, social,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davis-mccaughey/what-we-should-be-looking-for-is-fresh-ideas-of-how-we-make-moral/) Davis McCaughey > [My father, Charles Seeger, got me into the Communist movement. He backed out around '38. I drifted out in the 50's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/my-father-charles-seeger-got-me-into-the-communist-movement-he-backed/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [We must protect each other against the attacks of those self-appointed watchdogs of patriotism now abroad in the land who irresponsibly pin red labels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-henry-hildebrand/we-must-protect-each-other-against-the-attacks-of-those-self/) [Joel Henry Hildebrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-henry-hildebrand/) > [This time we'll hate, alright - but we'll hate the enemy - the vicious gang of colored scum attackers and Jewish-Communist traitors - rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lincoln-rockwell/this-time-we-ll-hate-alright-but-we-ll-hate-the-enemy-the-vicious/) [George Lincoln Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lincoln-rockwell/) > [Fidel Castro outlasted U.S. presidents determined to overthrow him, survived the collapse of the communist bloc that sustained him and outlived many of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-gjelten/fidel-castro-outlasted-u-s-presidents-determined-to-overthrow-him/) [Tom Gjelten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-gjelten/) > [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) [Browse all 1,048 Communist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names. I did not want to remain a martyr to something that I absolutely believed was immoral and wrong. It's as simple as that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Dmytryk" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Communist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f88/edward-dmytryk-35317_communist_with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-commun_1602497.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With me it was that defending the Communist Party was something worse than naming the names. I did not want…” — Edward Dmytryk", "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": "Edward Dmytryk", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dmytryk/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With me it was that defending...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dmytryk/with-me-it-was-that-defending-the-communist-party-was-something-worse/#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 } } ] } ```