--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any attorney general who is not an…" description: "\"Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing his or her job.\" — Eric Holder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg" --- # Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing… ![“Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing his or her job.” quote by Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg) > “Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing his or her job.” [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Activism is essential for the role; passive legal work fails to protect justice. **In simple terms:** Activism needed for justice. Key Takeaway Embrace proactive advocacy in law. Themes justice activism legal duty Mood inspirational serious Type political advice When to use this quote - civil rights cases - environmental law - public policy Key Concepts civic engagement policy reform Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance advocacy with impartiality? - When is a neutral stance appropriate? A Different Perspective Activism can be polarizing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) [Activist Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist-doing-3915058/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Attorney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorney/) [Attorney general](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attorney-general/) [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [General](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general/) [General Activist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/general-activist-3915057/) [Her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [On a personal level, I've seen a lot in my time as attorney general, but few things have affected me as greatly as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/on-a-personal-level-i-ve-seen-a-lot-in-my-time-as-attorney-general/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [I couldn't do that as attorney general. Why? Because they are my clients. You can't say they're not doing what they ought to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-gregoire/i-couldn-t-do-that-as-attorney-general-why-because-they-are-my/) [Christine Gregoire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-gregoire/) > [During my time as a judge, as a justice, and as attorney general, I've had one overarching goal, and that is a strict interpretation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-abbott/during-my-time-as-a-judge-as-a-justice-and-as-attorney-general-i-ve/) [Greg Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-abbott/) > [The economy is governed through cartel agreements and monopoly. The attorney general is the one who's controlling funds. There is no free business in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bidzina-ivanishvili/the-economy-is-governed-through-cartel-agreements-and-monopoly-the/) [Bidzina Ivanishvili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bidzina-ivanishvili/) > [I'm not against the government. I'm against this ever-expanding government that doesn't know its limits. And that's how I see the role of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wilson/i-m-not-against-the-government-i-m-against-this-ever-expanding/) [Alan Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wilson/) > [I've given everything I've got as attorney general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-beshear/i-ve-given-everything-i-ve-got-as-attorney-general/) [Andy Beshear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-beshear/) > [I explained to the president that I've been pleased with my conversations with the Attorney General and Civil Rights Division regarding their helpful understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-blunt/i-explained-to-the-president-that-i-ve-been-pleased-with-my/) [Roy Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-blunt/) > [Running for attorney general troubled me. Because I was worried I would simply become just a figurehead and that's not me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-bondi/running-for-attorney-general-troubled-me-because-i-was-worried-i/) [Pam Bondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-bondi/) > [The resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder is met with both pride and disappointment by the Civil Rights community. We are proud that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/the-resignation-of-attorney-general-eric-holder-is-met-with-both/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [It was a privilege to serve as the assistant attorney general for civil rights, a role that allowed me to enforce the Civil Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/it-was-a-privilege-to-serve-as-the-assistant-attorney-general-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [There are a whole variety of reasons I want to be attorney general, a whole variety of things that I do as attorney general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/there-are-a-whole-variety-of-reasons-i-want-to-be-attorney-general-a/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Kids who I grew up with, who I played ball with, basketball, baseball, and went to parties with - for whatever reason - they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/kids-who-i-grew-up-with-who-i-played-ball-with-basketball-baseball/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [If I were attorney general in Kansas in 1953, I would not have defended a Kansas statute that put in place separate-but-equal facilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/if-i-were-attorney-general-in-kansas-in-1953-i-would-not-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) ## More by Eric Holder > [Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and I believe continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/though-this-nation-has-proudly-thought-of-itself-as-an-ethnic-melting/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown's death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/the-full-resources-of-the-department-of-justice-have-been-committed/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Ferguson and St. Louis County are not the first places that we have become engaged to ensure fair and equitable policing, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/ferguson-and-st-louis-county-are-not-the-first-places-that-we-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Some have argued that the President is required to get permission from a federal court before taking action against a United States citizen who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/some-have-argued-that-the-president-is-required-to-get-permission/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I look forward to working with the NRA to come up with ways in which we can use common sense approaches to reduce the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-look-forward-to-working-with-the-nra-to-come-up-with-ways-in-which/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [This is going to be a very transparent Justice Department. But I'm not gonna sacrifice the safety of the American people or our ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/this-is-going-to-be-a-very-transparent-justice-department-but-i-m-not/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I have loved the Department of Justice ever since, as a young boy, I watched Robert Kennedy prove during the Civil Rights Movement how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-have-loved-the-department-of-justice-ever-since-as-a-young-boy-i/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [You constantly hear about voter fraud... but you don't see huge amounts of vote fraud out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/you-constantly-hear-about-voter-fraud-but-you-don-t-see-huge-amounts/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I'm a 21st-century guy, secure in who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-m-a-21st-century-guy-secure-in-who-i-am/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I'll leave here with my head held high and with confidence that history will judge my time here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-ll-leave-here-with-my-head-held-high-and-with-confidence-that/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [On a personal level, I've seen a lot in my time as attorney general, but few things have affected me as greatly as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/on-a-personal-level-i-ve-seen-a-lot-in-my-time-as-attorney-general/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [It is the thing that keeps me up at night - the notion that you have individuals in the United States who are looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/it-is-the-thing-that-keeps-me-up-at-night-the-notion-that-you-have/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Guantanamo is a chief recruiting tool for al-Qaida. It has put a wedge between the United States and at least some of its allies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/guantanamo-is-a-chief-recruiting-tool-for-al-qaida-it-has-put-a-wedge/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [I don't have any intention of resigning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/i-don-t-have-any-intention-of-resigning/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Michael Brown's tragic death has revealed a deep distrust between some in the Ferguson community and its police force. It also developed a need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/michael-brown-s-tragic-death-has-revealed-a-deep-distrust-between/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) [Explore all 91 Eric Holder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) ## More Activist quotes > [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/) > [“God has a way of picking a “nobody” and turning their world upside down, in order to create a “somebody” that will remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-has-a-way-of-picking-a-nobody-and-turning-their-world-upside-down/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Social media is not just another way to connect feminist and activist voices - it amplifies our messages as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-valenti/social-media-is-not-just-another-way-to-connect-feminist-and-activist/) [Jessica Valenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-valenti/) > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I have never been an activist for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/i-have-never-been-an-activist-for-anything/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [When we criticize in Iran the actions of the government, the fundamentalists say that we and the Bush Administration are in the same camp.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-ebadi/when-we-criticize-in-iran-the-actions-of-the-government-the/) [Shirin Ebadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-ebadi/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [I've been an activist in the LGBT community for a long time. I think nothing's changed, I'm just a little bit more focused on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/i-ve-been-an-activist-in-the-lgbt-community-for-a-long-time-i-think/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [I've been an activist since I was a teenager. I was always curious about what we would now call social justice. I remember just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/i-ve-been-an-activist-since-i-was-a-teenager-i-was-always-curious/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [I think that compared to other politicians who have been put in jail in the past, compared to the human-rights activists in history who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-think-that-compared-to-other-politicians-who-have-been-put-in-jail/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Some kinds of activists are more willing to try stuff out, see if works and think on their feet, but some of the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/some-kinds-of-activists-are-more-willing-to-try-stuff-out-see-if/) [Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/) > [Black gay activists should try to build coalitions of people for the elimination of all injustice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/black-gay-activists-should-try-to-build-coalitions-of-people-for-the/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [You do what you know is good, because it's good, and then you have a certain peace of mind, saying, you've been an activist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/you-do-what-you-know-is-good-because-it-s-good-and-then-you-have-a/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [Obviously the transgender movement has not progressed in the way that the gay and lesbian movement has. But Im an activist - thats just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaz-bono/obviously-the-transgender-movement-has-not-progressed-in-the-way-that/) [Chaz Bono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaz-bono/) > [“If you teach your children how to bully, or do nothing to stop them, teach them also how to die for their cause.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darnell-lamont-walker/if-you-teach-your-children-how-to-bully-or-do-nothing-to-stop-them/) [Darnell Lamont Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darnell-lamont-walker/) [Browse all 773 Activist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing his or her job.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Holder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activist-is-not-doing-his-or-her/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activist-is-not-doing-his-or-her/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/eric-holder-7429_activist_any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activ_2869145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Any attorney general who is not an activist is not doing his or her job.” — Eric Holder", "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": "Eric Holder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Any attorney general who is not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activist-is-not-doing-his-or-her/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/any-attorney-general-who-is-not-an-activist-is-not-doing-his-or-her/#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 } } ] } ```