--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I say,” Jake continued after a long…" description: "\"“I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. Maybe it’s not the best it cou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/glenna-sinclair-49764_continued_i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause_3055768.jpg" --- # I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not… ![“I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. Maybe it’s not the best it could be all the time, but it’s pretty damn good, all things considered.” quote by Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/glenna-sinclair-49764_continued_i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause_3055768.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/glenna-sinclair-49764_continued_i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause_3055768.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2cf/glenna-sinclair-49764_continued_i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause_3055768.jpg) > ““I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. Maybe it’s not the best it could be all the time, but it’s pretty damn good, all things considered.”” [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A speaker argues that non‑harmful actions are acceptable, reflecting a tolerant view of America’s flaws. **In simple terms:** If no harm, it’s okay. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections. Themes tolerance patriotism ethics Mood reflective critical Type observational dialogue When to use this quote - Everyday conversation - political debate - social media commentary Key Concepts Americanism relativism Questions to Reflect On - Is non‑harm sufficient for moral approval? - What are the limits of tolerance? A Different Perspective May ignore hidden harms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. Maybe it’s not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause-if-they-re-not-hurting-anyone/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“Speaking of debutantes,” Jake continued cautiously when Ian remained silent, “what about the one upstairs? Do you dislike her especially, or just on general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/speaking-of-debutantes-jake-continued-cautiously-when-ian-remained/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [“I wonder where they’ll go,” Jake continued, frowning a little. “There’s wolves out there, and all sorts of beasts.” “No self-respecting wolf would dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/i-wonder-where-they-ll-go-jake-continued-frowning-a-little-there-s/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [Everyone wants to work in America. Maybe not blockbusters or Terminator, but to have the choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-green/everyone-wants-to-work-in-america-maybe-not-blockbusters-or/) [Eva Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-green/) > [If I think about most of America, and maybe I'm terribly wrong...but I think most of America would say that they're not in favor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/if-i-think-about-most-of-america-and-maybe-i-m-terribly-wrong-but-i/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [This doesn't happen in America! Maybe Ohio, but not in America!" Homer Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-groening/this-doesn-t-happen-in-america-maybe-ohio-but-not-in-america-homer/) [Matt Groening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-groening/) > [“So is America over? A long time ago we "lost" China, we've lost Southeast Asia, we've lost South America. Maybe we'll lose the Middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/so-is-america-over-a-long-time-ago-we-lost-china-we-ve-lost-southeast/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“I think it's funny that USA are the first 3 letters in the name Usama Bin Laden. Yes you can spell it Osama, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-sov/i-think-it-s-funny-that-usa-are-the-first-3-letters-in-the-name-usama/) [Mike Sov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-sov/) > [I truly believe that one day we will get there, we will arrive. And if we do it right in America, maybe, just maybe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-truly-believe-that-one-day-we-will-get-there-we-will-arrive-and-if/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [Something has happened where you almost never grow up in America. Maybe it's the greater wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-ames/something-has-happened-where-you-almost-never-grow-up-in-america/) [Jonathan Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-ames/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [America is a country of fighters. People who fought their way in and then continued fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/america-is-a-country-of-fighters-people-who-fought-their-way-in-and/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [I'm just trying to touch the world and touch the people and just get good material. And show them that we can get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-m-just-trying-to-touch-the-world-and-touch-the-people-and-just-get/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) > [Genius is nothing but continued attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-adrien-helvetius/genius-is-nothing-but-continued-attention/) [Claude Adrien Helvetius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-adrien-helvetius/) > [“When she was turning the bacon, he came up behind her, his hands settling on her waist as he peered over her shoulder. “That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/when-she-was-turning-the-bacon-he-came-up-behind-her-his-hands/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) ## More by Glenna Sinclair > [“you think the accident was meant for him?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/you-think-the-accident-was-meant-for-him/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“Not that it would have prevented the shooting. That was a drive by inspired by a case Peter Bradford had been working on at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/not-that-it-would-have-prevented-the-shooting-that-was-a-drive-by/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“Patience was what made a man or woman dangerous. Put a plan together, wait for the perfect opportunity. That’s what the criminals who didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/patience-was-what-made-a-man-or-woman-dangerous-put-a-plan-together/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“He said she needed to learn how to take pleasure in every section of the cycle of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/he-said-she-needed-to-learn-how-to-take-pleasure-in-every-section-of/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. Maybe it’s not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/i-say-jake-continued-after-a-long-pause-if-they-re-not-hurting-anyone/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) > [“drive you home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenna-sinclair/drive-you-home/) [Glenna Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) [Explore all 7 Glenna Sinclair quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenna-sinclair/) ## More Continued quotes > [“When she was turning the bacon, he came up behind her, his hands settling on her waist as he peered over her shoulder. “That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/when-she-was-turning-the-bacon-he-came-up-behind-her-his-hands/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [I'm just trying to touch the world and touch the people and just get good material. And show them that we can get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-m-just-trying-to-touch-the-world-and-touch-the-people-and-just-get/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) > [America is a country of fighters. People who fought their way in and then continued fighting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-altucher/america-is-a-country-of-fighters-people-who-fought-their-way-in-and/) [James Altucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-altucher/) > [Genius is nothing but continued attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-adrien-helvetius/genius-is-nothing-but-continued-attention/) [Claude Adrien Helvetius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-adrien-helvetius/) > [Continued experiment with dog today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-gill/continued-experiment-with-dog-today/) [Eric Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-gill/) > [ That was a really interesting series \[Threshold \] that I think would've been really great had it continued. I know Brannon Braga, who was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/that-was-a-really-interesting-series-threshold-that-i-think-would-ve/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [“I'll do it!" "No, you won't," Shane and Michael said, at virtually the same time. Shane continued. "You're barely on your feet, Claire. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/i-ll-do-it-no-you-won-t-shane-and-michael-said-at-virtually-the-same/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Obviously, the Sixties was a time when everyone wanted to experiment, and then everything became very formulated and corporate, so artists tended to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/obviously-the-sixties-was-a-time-when-everyone-wanted-to-experiment/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [“Did you forgive her?" I looked at her with a start. Jack dropped his salad back in the bucket. "What?" "Did you forgive Nikki?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brodi-ashton/did-you-forgive-her-i-looked-at-her-with-a-start-jack-dropped-his/) [Brodi Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brodi-ashton/) > [“You own me,” Cole continued, his voice lowering, “you own every fucking part of me, and I won't back off this time ... Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-edwards/you-own-me-cole-continued-his-voice-lowering-you-own-every-fucking/) [Nicole Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-edwards/) > [When I left the show, the fans were so amazing in terms of the outpouring of support and continued support all that time whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-barrett/when-i-left-the-show-the-fans-were-so-amazing-in-terms-of-the/) [Alice Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-barrett/) > [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/) > [Youre so fat when you weigh yourself, it says to be continued!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/youre-so-fat-when-you-weigh-yourself-it-says-to-be-continued/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Yes?” he said impatiently. There was a pause. “You wouldn’t believe how many people I had to bribe to get this new number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-palmer/yes-he-said-impatiently-there-was-a-pause-you-wouldn-t-believe-how/) [Diana Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-palmer/) Browse all 285 Continued quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I say,” Jake continued after a long pause, “if they’re not hurting anyone, why bother them? This is America, after all. 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