--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are going to save our hides, we…" description: "\"If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with democracy.\" — Jill Stein" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg" --- # If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with… ![“If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with democracy.” quote by Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg) > “If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with democracy.” [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Saving humanity requires fixing democracy first, as political systems shape societal survival. **In simple terms:** Democracy is the foundation of survival. Key Takeaway Prioritize democratic reforms. Themes politics environment survival Mood urgent thought‑provoking Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - activism - voting - civic education Key Concepts governance collective action Questions to Reflect On - What democratic changes are most urgent? - Can democracy survive environmental collapse? A Different Perspective Democracy alone may not solve all crises; other factors matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ## Related quotes > [If you want to work on getting better, you need to start by knowing where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-work-on-getting-better-you-need-to-start-by-knowing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We don't need to start our dream from the top all we need is to make a first step where we are standing right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subingsubing-dondy/we-don-t-need-to-start-our-dream-from-the-top-all-we-need-is-to-make/) Subingsubing Dondy > [“When you are new at something, you need to start creating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/when-you-are-new-at-something-you-need-to-start-creating/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [I need to start caring about myself if I'm going to be a proper father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hoon/i-need-to-start-caring-about-myself-if-i-m-going-to-be-a-proper-father/) [Shannon Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hoon/) > [Love is the key. We need to start opening up doors by giving some.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-barnaby/love-is-the-key-we-need-to-start-opening-up-doors-by-giving-some/) Courtney Barnaby > [“Now woman, you need to start doin’ what you came here to do or I’m gonna do it for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-sheehan/now-woman-you-need-to-start-doin-what-you-came-here-to-do-or-i-m/) [Madeline Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-sheehan/) > [Sometimes you need to start again, in order to fly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alicia-keys/sometimes-you-need-to-start-again-in-order-to-fly/) [Alicia Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alicia-keys/) > [“For problems of any significant difficulty, you need to start with your hands in your pockets, and your senses open. 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And less angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-really-need-to-start-being-nicer-and-less-angry/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Because sometimes you need to start at the beginning in order to make sense of the end. \*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-green/because-sometimes-you-need-to-start-at-the-beginning-in-order-to-make/) [Linda Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-green/) > [I don't work out or watch what I eat - but I need to start so it doesn't catch up to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-dallas/i-don-t-work-out-or-watch-what-i-eat-but-i-need-to-start-so-it-doesn/) [Cameron Dallas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-dallas/) ## More by Jill Stein > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I was very engaged by the folk music movement.Bob Dylan; Joan Baez; Peter, Paul and Mary. And then I sort of discovered world music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-was-very-engaged-by-the-folk-music-movement-bob-dylan-joan-baez/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I wouldn't say it's a done deal yet, by any means. I think there are a lot of people who feel like their lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-wouldn-t-say-it-s-a-done-deal-yet-by-any-means-i-think-there-are-a/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [To my mind, to say that says to young people "and you probably are not going to get out of debt, and you probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/to-my-mind-to-say-that-says-to-young-people-and-you-probably-are-not/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For ISIS, the answer is to cut off their food, their water, their armaments, you know, and their funding. I don't mean literally their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/for-isis-the-answer-is-to-cut-off-their-food-their-water-their/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ They \[Democrats\] are not just going up, they are accelerating on their way up. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/they-democrats-are-not-just-going-up-they-are-accelerating-on-their/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I don't want to revisit history or try to re-interpret it, you know, but starting from where we are now, given the experience that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-don-t-want-to-revisit-history-or-try-to-re-interpret-it-you-know/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [I am not an expert on the Clinton Foundation, so, you know, I don't want to pass judgment on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-am-not-an-expert-on-the-clinton-foundation-so-you-know-i-don-t-want/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ He \[Donald Trump\] is like - he's a magnet for crime and extortion and, you know, just really criminal investments which are extremely dangerous. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/he-donald-trump-is-like-he-s-a-magnet-for-crime-and-extortion-and-you/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ By needlessly provoking him \[Vladimir Putin\] and humiliating him, we empower far worse possibilities in Russia. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/by-needlessly-provoking-him-vladimir-putin-and-humiliating-him-we/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We will not really address our foreign policy and these endless wars that show no end in sight and seem to be getting deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/we-will-not-really-address-our-foreign-policy-and-these-endless-wars/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [ Remember, Bernie \[Sanders\] was the guy. He was the one guy that could win this, and head-to-head he could go against \[Donald\] Trump and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/remember-bernie-sanders-was-the-guy-he-was-the-one-guy-that-could-win/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Democracy needs to start with an open Presidential debate. So come on out and let's take back the promise of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/democracy-needs-to-start-with-an-open-presidential-debate-so-come-on/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the most disliked and untrusted candidates for president in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/hillary-clinton-and-donald-trump-are-the-most-disliked-and-untrusted/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) [Explore all 423 Jill Stein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) ## 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": "If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with democracy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jill Stein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-need-to-start-with-democracy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-need-to-start-with-democracy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a3/jill-stein-660_democracy_if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-nee_1468012.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we are going to save our hides, we need to start with democracy.” — Jill Stein", "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": "Jill Stein", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we are going to save...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-need-to-start-with-democracy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-we-are-going-to-save-our-hides-we-need-to-start-with-democracy/#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 } } ] } ```