--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only by vigilance toward everyone's…" description: "\"“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.”\" — Leonard Pitts Jr" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg" --- # Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect… ![“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.” quote by Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg) > ““Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.”” [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Protecting rights requires vigilance for everyone, not just select groups. **In simple terms:** Guard all rights to keep any safe. Key Takeaway Watch over everyone's rights. Themes human rights justice collective responsibility Mood serious determined Type political ethical When to use this quote - policy making - activism - legal advocacy - community organizing Key Concepts civic duty egalitarianism Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure vigilance translates into action? - What mechanisms protect rights effectively? A Different Perspective Vigilance alone may not stop systemic abuse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Vigilance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vigilance/) ## Related quotes > [But I always reassure them that as far as my contractual rights can go, I will protect them and make sure that they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-roach/but-i-always-reassure-them-that-as-far-as-my-contractual-rights-can/) [Jay Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-roach/) > [If every person has the right to defend - even by force - his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/if-every-person-has-the-right-to-defend-even-by-force-his-person-his/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [Why, I say, that to tax the community for the advantage of a class is not protection; it is plunder, and I entirely disclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/why-i-say-that-to-tax-the-community-for-the-advantage-of-a-class-is/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [We need to make sure that we protect our babies. But we also need to make sure we protect our rights, I willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/we-need-to-make-sure-that-we-protect-our-babies-but-we-also-need-to/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [That's the key - to maintain the garden of liberty, right? This is a generational thing that we must all do continuously. We only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/that-s-the-key-to-maintain-the-garden-of-liberty-right-this-is-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I wish we weren't fighting all the time to protect women's rights, to protect women's health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-wish-we-weren-t-fighting-all-the-time-to-protect-women-s-rights-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I have a duty to teach my people about their rights and protect them from being bamboozled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilhan-omar/i-have-a-duty-to-teach-my-people-about-their-rights-and-protect-them/) [Ilhan Omar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilhan-omar/) > [To attribute rights to animals is to ignore the purpose and justification of rights - to protect the interests of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-epstein/to-attribute-rights-to-animals-is-to-ignore-the-purpose-and/) [Alex Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-epstein/) > [“Stand up to your rights to protect your integrity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bilman/stand-up-to-your-rights-to-protect-your-integrity/) Emily Bilman > [I desire not to keep my place in this government an hour longer than I may preserve England in its just rights, and may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-cromwell/i-desire-not-to-keep-my-place-in-this-government-an-hour-longer-than/) [Oliver Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-cromwell/) > [We assert that in those areas where the government is either unable or unwilling to protect the lives and property of our people, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/we-assert-that-in-those-areas-where-the-government-is-either-unable/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The disgraceful and shameful construction of walls, the increasing enforcement of security systems and increasing violation of human rights and labor rights will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-fox/the-disgraceful-and-shameful-construction-of-walls-the-increasing/) [Vicente Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-fox/) > [The laws of England will protect the rights of British subjects, and give a remedy for a grievance committed by one British subject upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayley/the-laws-of-england-will-protect-the-rights-of-british-subjects-and/) [Bayley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayley/) > [Above all, we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/above-all-we-value-the-dignity-of-every-human-life-protect-the-rights/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The more you learn about someone, how could you not want to protect them and their rights? The more you learn about a culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yara-shahidi/the-more-you-learn-about-someone-how-could-you-not-want-to-protect/) [Yara Shahidi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yara-shahidi/) ## More by Leonard Pitts Jr > [“You could never tell if he was with you or not, so Cooley liked to talk to him just in case. Just to remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-could-never-tell-if-he-was-with-you-or-not-so-cooley-liked-to/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Sometimes, you simply must follow your heart," she said. "No reasonable man can blame you for that." A smile. "No reasonable woman can, either.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sometimes-you-simply-must-follow-your-heart-she-said-no-reasonable/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“There were few things more paralyzing than fear and worry, and she could not understand why other people—even Bonnie—withstood them so readily. The world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/there-were-few-things-more-paralyzing-than-fear-and-worry-and-she/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“It was skin, she decided. Only skin. And it had no power to add or subtract or otherwise alter her fundamental understanding of her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/it-was-skin-she-decided-only-skin-and-it-had-no-power-to-add-or/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“It occurred to Mo that he didn't have any pictures of himself as a boy. Every photo he owned, every memento of his life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/it-occurred-to-mo-that-he-didn-t-have-any-pictures-of-himself-as-a/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Sometimes, yesterday says goodbye to you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sometimes-yesterday-says-goodbye-to-you/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Sorrow makes us all children again.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson said that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/sorrow-makes-us-all-children-again-ralph-waldo-emerson-said-that/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Everything that lived, died.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/everything-that-lived-died/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“For the first time in his life, the very first time in his life, he hated her. Or he tried to, at least. Tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/for-the-first-time-in-his-life-the-very-first-time-in-his-life-he/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“He had not known until that moment that your heart can break with love, that it can fill with such inexpressible tenderness till you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/he-had-not-known-until-that-moment-that-your-heart-can-break-with/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“He was numb from aching. And from fear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/he-was-numb-from-aching-and-from-fear/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“They drove through the intersection and turned left on a street Mo had once known like his favorite song. It was strange to him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/they-drove-through-the-intersection-and-turned-left-on-a-street-mo/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“You think you've reached the bottom. Then you find out the bottom has a basement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-think-you-ve-reached-the-bottom-then-you-find-out-the-bottom-has/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“Love is a powerful tie, son. At the end, it's the thing that pulls us back together when everything else has pulled us apart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/love-is-a-powerful-tie-son-at-the-end-it-s-the-thing-that-pulls-us/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) > [“You could get lost in and never care about finding your way back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/you-could-get-lost-in-and-never-care-about-finding-your-way-back/) [Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) [Explore all 22 Leonard Pitts Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/) ## More Rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [If you wanted to put the world to rights, who should you begin with: yourself or others?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/if-you-wanted-to-put-the-world-to-rights-who-should-you-begin-with/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) > [I do conscientiously and sincerely believe that the Order of Freemasonry, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest moral and political evils…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/i-do-conscientiously-and-sincerely-believe-that-the-order-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [Today, at Harvard, any student with the currently fashionable color of skin is given rights denied to students of the currently unfashionable color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capp/today-at-harvard-any-student-with-the-currently-fashionable-color-of/) [Al Capp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capp/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [Adam Clayton Powell's entire political career has to be looked at in the entire context of the American history and the history of, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/adam-clayton-powell-s-entire-political-career-has-to-be-looked-at-in/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Any home where there is love constitutes a family and all families should have the same legal rights, including the right to marry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/any-home-where-there-is-love-constitutes-a-family-and-all-families/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [The judiciary must not take on the coloration of whatever may be popular at the moment. We are guardian of rights, and we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-bird/the-judiciary-must-not-take-on-the-coloration-of-whatever-may-be/) [Rose Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-bird/) [Browse all 6,923 Rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leonard Pitts Jr" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-rights-do-we-protect-anyone-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-rights-do-we-protect-anyone-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ea/leonard-pitts-jr-25973_quote_only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-righ_2106013.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights do we protect anyone's rights.” — Leonard Pitts Jr", "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": "Leonard Pitts Jr", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Only by vigilance toward everyone's rights...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-rights-do-we-protect-anyone-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/only-by-vigilance-toward-everyone-s-rights-do-we-protect-anyone-s/#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 } } ] } ```