--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always preach that you have to be…" description: "\"I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no matter what, and some people just voting as an excuse not to do anything.\" — Lupe Fiasco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png" --- # I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no… ![“I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no matter what, and some people just voting as an excuse not to do anything.” quote by Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png) > “I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no matter what, and some people just voting as an excuse not to do anything.” [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizenship requires active participation beyond just voting. **In simple terms:** Being active, not just voting, defines citizenship. Key Takeaway Engage in community actions and civic duties. Themes civic duty activism political engagement Mood motivational reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - volunteering - community meetings - advocacy campaigns Key Concepts social responsibility grassroots organizing public discourse Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take locally? - How does voting fit into broader civic responsibility? A Different Perspective Voting alone may give false sense of contribution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) ## Related quotes > [What is this much repeated phrase 'active citizen' supposed to mean? The active citizens are the ones who took the Bastille.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-desmoulins/what-is-this-much-repeated-phrase-active-citizen-supposed-to-mean-the/) [Camille Desmoulins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-desmoulins/) > [We have to be a democracy and demand certain things even after that individual gets in the White House. All those promises those dudes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/we-have-to-be-a-democracy-and-demand-certain-things-even-after-that/) [Charlamagne Tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/) > [If you want something to actually happen, just voting isn't enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/if-you-want-something-to-actually-happen-just-voting-isn-t-enough/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) > [As a citizen, you need to know how to be a part of it, how to express yourself - and not just by voting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/as-a-citizen-you-need-to-know-how-to-be-a-part-of-it-how-to-express/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [You aren't just voting for the president. So many issues that affect your everyday life are decided locally on that ballot as well. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissy-teigen/you-aren-t-just-voting-for-the-president-so-many-issues-that-affect/) [Chrissy Teigen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissy-teigen/) > [I'm not calling for a boycott on voting. But I think it should be very clear that just voting is not going to solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/i-m-not-calling-for-a-boycott-on-voting-but-i-think-it-should-be-very/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [If you don't have voter ID, you can just keep voting and voting and voting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-don-t-have-voter-id-you-can-just-keep-voting-and-voting-and/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Democracy is not just voting every 5 years and watching 'Big Brother' in between and wondering why nothing happens. Democracy is what we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/democracy-is-not-just-voting-every-5-years-and-watching-big-brother/) [Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/) > [I spent many years working for voting rights, but we still see sophisticated efforts, led by white officials, to disenfranchise black voters in local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-brooke/i-spent-many-years-working-for-voting-rights-but-we-still-see/) [Edward Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-brooke/) > [The voting booth joint is a great leveler; the whole neighborhood - rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky - they all turn out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/the-voting-booth-joint-is-a-great-leveler-the-whole-neighborhood-rich/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [If Robert Heinlein is more to your taste than George Lucas: “If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/if-robert-heinlein-is-more-to-your-taste-than-george-lucas-if-you-are/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) > [“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/) > [Voting Labour in the past hasn't protected Scotland against Tory governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/voting-labour-in-the-past-hasn-t-protected-scotland-against-tory/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [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/) ## More by Lupe Fiasco > [Then he leaves the house that love built that hug renovate that section 8 pays for. Well lets pray for em, Let the beat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/then-he-leaves-the-house-that-love-built-that-hug-renovate-that/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [I have yet to see someone attack Obama over his report card. A lot of people I talk to from both sides of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-have-yet-to-see-someone-attack-obama-over-his-report-card-a-lot-of/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [And its gonna be PPV, wont be back for free, You gonna need scratch to see, me to rematch with me, my greatest enemy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/and-its-gonna-be-ppv-wont-be-back-for-free-you-gonna-need-scratch-to/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [People say, 'If you don't vote, then you don't have a right to say anything. But nine times outta 10, I pay more taxes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/people-say-if-you-don-t-vote-then-you-don-t-have-a-right-to-say/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [Life aint made to come around twice, Thats why I gotta get it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/life-aint-made-to-come-around-twice-thats-why-i-gotta-get-it-right/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [We on the internet. That's such a small community. We think we're so huge. If you went up to people on the street and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/we-on-the-internet-that-s-such-a-small-community-we-think-we-re-so/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [You can't control it once you turn it into the label, so there's the expectation that it'll leak a week before the album comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/you-can-t-control-it-once-you-turn-it-into-the-label-so-there-s-the/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [I do understand that America is a predominantly Christian country. A lot of morals and values are based in Christianity as opposed to Buddhism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-do-understand-that-america-is-a-predominantly-christian-country-a/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [What I've learned is not to take anybody's advice. If you rely solely on your fans, it sets you up for the downfall on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/what-i-ve-learned-is-not-to-take-anybody-s-advice-if-you-rely-solely/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [When I retire, I want to step away on a positive note. What you put out into the world comes back to you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/when-i-retire-i-want-to-step-away-on-a-positive-note-what-you-put-out/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [I love the lord, but sometimes its like that I love me more, now I love the peace and I love the war, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-love-the-lord-but-sometimes-its-like-that-i-love-me-more-now-i-love/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [It's a massive undertaking putting an album together... It's not light weight at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/it-s-a-massive-undertaking-putting-an-album-together-it-s-not-light/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [I always say that you define what success is to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-always-say-that-you-define-what-success-is-to-yourself/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [Down the block come kick it with me like Kung Fu, where I hung like noose they called me young bruce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/down-the-block-come-kick-it-with-me-like-kung-fu-where-i-hung-like/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) > [It's gorillas here, takes a village to raise a villain here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/it-s-gorillas-here-takes-a-village-to-raise-a-villain-here/) [Lupe Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) [Explore all 282 Lupe Fiasco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/) ## More Active quotes > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [We in US need active intelligence: people being on the streets, people being able to stop and ask questions of individuals that they suspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/we-in-us-need-active-intelligence-people-being-on-the-streets-people/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [Nothing is worse than active ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nothing-is-worse-than-active-ignorance/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I eat healthy most of the time. Whole foods are the best for you when you are super active, so I get plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witney-carson/i-eat-healthy-most-of-the-time-whole-foods-are-the-best-for-you-when/) [Witney Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witney-carson/) > [Art shows us how to see things that are constructive and good, and to be an active part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/art-shows-us-how-to-see-things-that-are-constructive-and-good-and-to/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/) [Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/) > [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [I stayed in L.A. long enough to get on my feet, and then I moved back to New York. The reason I moved here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-stayed-in-l-a-long-enough-to-get-on-my-feet-and-then-i-moved-back/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God's willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/the-answer-to-any-challenge-you-are-having-has-nothing-to-do-with-god/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [Pete Townsend for me was a huge influence. Because essentially they were a three-piece band and the way he structured his chords and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/pete-townsend-for-me-was-a-huge-influence-because-essentially-they/) [Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/) > [There is an enemy. There is an intelligent, active, malign force working against us. Step one is to recognize this. This recognition alone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/there-is-an-enemy-there-is-an-intelligent-active-malign-force-working/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Few, if any, creatures are equally active all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/few-if-any-creatures-are-equally-active-all-night/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You need to enjoy yourself and just get into the routine of keeping fit and enjoying being active. That's always easier once you've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-brownlee/you-need-to-enjoy-yourself-and-just-get-into-the-routine-of-keeping/) [Alistair Brownlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-brownlee/) Browse all 2,212 Active quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no matter what, and some people just voting as an excuse not to do anything.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lupe Fiasco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-active-as-a-citizen-no-matter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Active" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-active-as-a-citizen-no-matter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/567/lupe-fiasco-1146_active_i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-acti_1929880.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always preach that you have to be active as a citizen no matter what, and some people just voting as an…” — Lupe Fiasco", "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": "Lupe Fiasco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupe-fiasco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I always preach that you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-active-as-a-citizen-no-matter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupe-fiasco/i-always-preach-that-you-have-to-be-active-as-a-citizen-no-matter/#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 } } ] } ```