--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every vote for a governing office is an…" description: "\"Every vote for a governing office is an instrument for enslaving me.\" — M. E. Lazarus" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/m-e-lazarus-258503_governing_every-vote-for-a-governing-office-is-an_2160299.jpg" --- # Every vote for a governing office is an instrument for… ![“Every vote for a governing office is an instrument for enslaving me.” quote by M. E. Lazarus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/m-e-lazarus-258503_governing_every-vote-for-a-governing-office-is-an_2160299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/m-e-lazarus-258503_governing_every-vote-for-a-governing-office-is-an_2160299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/m-e-lazarus-258503_governing_every-vote-for-a-governing-office-is-an_2160299.jpg) > “Every vote for a governing office is an instrument for enslaving me.” M. E. Lazarus ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Voting is portrayed as a tool of oppression for the individual. **In simple terms:** Voting can enslave the voter. Key Takeaway Question authority of political systems. Themes politics power freedom Mood skeptical critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - civil protests - legal challenges - media analysis Key Concepts authoritarianism civil rights political theory Questions to Reflect On - How does voting empower or restrict you? - What alternatives exist to protect freedom? A Different Perspective Power structures can limit individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Enslaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enslaving/) [Governing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governing/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) ## Related quotes > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is not a book or show advocating enslaving women or creating a theocracy. It's not glorifying that. It's talking about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laeta-kalogridis/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-not-a-book-or-show-advocating-enslaving-women/) [Laeta Kalogridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laeta-kalogridis/) > [“The flood of cheap manufactures, for which the people have no need,destroys their industries. They become dependent on this trade and the demand for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/the-flood-of-cheap-manufactures-for-which-the-people-have-no-need/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/there-is-nothing-more-enticing-disenchanting-and-enslaving-than-the/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Rulers exist entirely through the persons of others. Their goal is in their subjects, in the activity of enslaving. They are as dependent as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/rulers-exist-entirely-through-the-persons-of-others-their-goal-is-in/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“But, alas, this wealth, instead of blessing the race, has been the means of enslaving it. The few have come in possession of all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/but-alas-this-wealth-instead-of-blessing-the-race-has-been-the-means/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to keep them from education... The second way of enslaving a people is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-best-ways-of-enslaving-a-people-is-to-keep-them-from-2/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to keep them from education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-best-ways-of-enslaving-a-people-is-to-keep-them-from/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [The average European does not seem to feel free until he succeeds in enslaving and oppressing others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/the-average-european-does-not-seem-to-feel-free-until-he-succeeds-in/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [The Caribbean calls upon the enslaving governments of Europe and their national institutions, all enriched and empowered by their crimes against humanity, to return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-beckles/the-caribbean-calls-upon-the-enslaving-governments-of-europe-and/) [Hilary Beckles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-beckles/) > [ When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British parliament was advised by an artful man \[Sir William Keith\], who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/when-the-resolution-of-enslaving-america-was-formed-in-great-britain/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [We have to show these men and women freedom by enslaving them, and show them courage by frightening them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-have-to-show-these-men-and-women-freedom-by-enslaving-them-and/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“The first enslaving illusion is the idea that people are born to be consumers and that they can attain any of their goals by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-first-enslaving-illusion-is-the-idea-that-people-are-born-to-be/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [“Reverend John Allen of Massachusetts took up the cry: Blush ye pretended votaries for freedom! ye trifling patriots!… for while you are fasting, praying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-brogan/reverend-john-allen-of-massachusetts-took-up-the-cry-blush-ye/) [Hugh Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-brogan/) > [Slavery is a wrong to each individual enslaved; and not merely to the first of a series. Natural law, therefore, as much forbids the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-is-a-wrong-to-each-individual-enslaved-and-not-merely-to-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [What I learned in politics (is that) it's a very enslaving place to be. It's hard to be free in politics and if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-kilpatrick/what-i-learned-in-politics-is-that-it-s-a-very-enslaving-place-to-be/) [Kwame Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-kilpatrick/) ## More Enslaving quotes > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is not a book or show advocating enslaving women or creating a theocracy. It's not glorifying that. It's talking about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laeta-kalogridis/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-not-a-book-or-show-advocating-enslaving-women/) [Laeta Kalogridis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laeta-kalogridis/) > [Slavery is a wrong to each individual enslaved; and not merely to the first of a series. Natural law, therefore, as much forbids the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-is-a-wrong-to-each-individual-enslaved-and-not-merely-to-the/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [“Reverend John Allen of Massachusetts took up the cry: Blush ye pretended votaries for freedom! ye trifling patriots!… for while you are fasting, praying,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-brogan/reverend-john-allen-of-massachusetts-took-up-the-cry-blush-ye/) [Hugh Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-brogan/) > [“The first enslaving illusion is the idea that people are born to be consumers and that they can attain any of their goals by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-first-enslaving-illusion-is-the-idea-that-people-are-born-to-be/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [We have to show these men and women freedom by enslaving them, and show them courage by frightening them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-have-to-show-these-men-and-women-freedom-by-enslaving-them-and/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [ When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British parliament was advised by an artful man \[Sir William Keith\], who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-mason/when-the-resolution-of-enslaving-america-was-formed-in-great-britain/) [George Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-mason/) > [The Caribbean calls upon the enslaving governments of Europe and their national institutions, all enriched and empowered by their crimes against humanity, to return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-beckles/the-caribbean-calls-upon-the-enslaving-governments-of-europe-and/) [Hilary Beckles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-beckles/) > [The average European does not seem to feel free until he succeeds in enslaving and oppressing others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-berenson/the-average-european-does-not-seem-to-feel-free-until-he-succeeds-in/) [Bernard Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-berenson/) > [One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to keep them from education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-best-ways-of-enslaving-a-people-is-to-keep-them-from/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to keep them from education... The second way of enslaving a people is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/one-of-the-best-ways-of-enslaving-a-people-is-to-keep-them-from-2/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“But, alas, this wealth, instead of blessing the race, has been the means of enslaving it. The few have come in possession of all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/but-alas-this-wealth-instead-of-blessing-the-race-has-been-the-means/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [Rulers exist entirely through the persons of others. Their goal is in their subjects, in the activity of enslaving. They are as dependent as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/rulers-exist-entirely-through-the-persons-of-others-their-goal-is-in/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/there-is-nothing-more-enticing-disenchanting-and-enslaving-than-the/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“The flood of cheap manufactures, for which the people have no need,destroys their industries. They become dependent on this trade and the demand for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-unsworth/the-flood-of-cheap-manufactures-for-which-the-people-have-no-need/) [Barry Unsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-unsworth/) > [What I learned in politics (is that) it's a very enslaving place to be. It's hard to be free in politics and if the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-kilpatrick/what-i-learned-in-politics-is-that-it-s-a-very-enslaving-place-to-be/) [Kwame Kilpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-kilpatrick/) [Browse all 33 Enslaving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enslaving/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every vote for a governing office is an instrument for enslaving me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "M. E. 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