---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People that are willing to fight for…"
description: "\"People that are willing to fight for their rights is the real definition of the American Dream.\" — Merle Rutledge"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg"
---

#  People that are willing to fight for their rights is the…

![“People that are willing to fight for their rights is the real definition of the American Dream.” quote by Merle Rutledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg)

> “People that are willing to fight for their rights is the real definition of the American Dream.”

Merle Rutledge

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Fighting for rights embodies the true American Dream.

**In simple terms:** Rights activism defines America’s ideal.

Key Takeaway

Defend rights to realize the Dream.

Themes

rights activism American Dream

Mood

determined optimistic

Type

political motivational

When to use this quote

- political campaigns
- community organizing

Key Concepts

freedom citizen empowerment social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- How does activism shape national identity?
- What barriers hinder rights movements?

A Different Perspective

Not all view the Dream similarly.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/)

## Related quotes

> [The world is littered with constitutions that have written guarantees of rights but that don't actually deliver rights. What differentiates the ones where rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-world-is-littered-with-constitutions-that-have-written-guarantees/)

[Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/)

> [“Whenever we go through a period of de-Americanization like what is currently affecting South Asians, Arabs, and Muslim Americans, a whole generation of Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ong-hing/whenever-we-go-through-a-period-of-de-americanization-like-what-is/)

[Bill Ong Hing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ong-hing/)

> [I think we just have to be mindful of what that definition of an American dream is. I think we are faced with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-isaac-chung/i-think-we-just-have-to-be-mindful-of-what-that-definition-of-an/)

[Lee Isaac Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-isaac-chung/)

> [“It’s almost like that’s the definition of being American: You love becoming Irish for a day, or becoming Italian… Or becoming a Negro for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-alan-friedman/it-s-almost-like-that-s-the-definition-of-being-american-you-love/)

Josh Alan Friedman

> [“My definition of an American Idol is someone who is a great talent and who communicates well with the audience”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lewis/my-definition-of-an-american-idol-is-someone-who-is-a-great-talent/)

[Blake Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lewis/)

> [Multicultural is not a description of a category of American writing-it is a definition of all American writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/multicultural-is-not-a-description-of-a-category-of-american-writing/)

[Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/)

> [You have the energy when you're a kid to really fight for rights - that's why kids make great soldiers, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milla-jovovich/you-have-the-energy-when-you-re-a-kid-to-really-fight-for-rights-that/)

[Milla Jovovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milla-jovovich/)

> [I just hope that everyone tells their children, especially daughters, to fight for their rights!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-manjrekar/i-just-hope-that-everyone-tells-their-children-especially-daughters/)

[Mahesh Manjrekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-manjrekar/)

> [It is always far easier to have faith in your own goodness than to confront others ad fight for your rights...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/it-is-always-far-easier-to-have-faith-in-your-own-goodness-than-to/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Latinos must be proud. We have the same rights in the U.S. as anybody else. Instead of crying and getting upset about visa problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/latinos-must-be-proud-we-have-the-same-rights-in-the-u-s-as-anybody/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [We can not fight for our rights and our history as well as future until we are armed with weapons of criticism and dedicated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-can-not-fight-for-our-rights-and-our-history-as-well-as-future/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You can't fight for your rights if you don't know what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/you-can-t-fight-for-your-rights-if-you-don-t-know-what-they-are/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [In the age of girl power, we're loath to send a message of surrender to our girls. To the contrary: we've doubled down on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/in-the-age-of-girl-power-we-re-loath-to-send-a-message-of-surrender/)

[Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/)

> [“If the system were designed to protect adoptees, why do so many have to fight for their rights?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dashanne-stokes/if-the-system-were-designed-to-protect-adoptees-why-do-so-many-have/)

[DaShanne Stokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dashanne-stokes/)

> [The president of the United States, his role is to uphold and to fight for the rights of every person, every American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-warner/the-president-of-the-united-states-his-role-is-to-uphold-and-to-fight/)

[Kurt Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-warner/)

## More by Merle Rutledge

> [This woman says she was looking for a man with sophistication. I thought she said suffocation, and I was like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-rutledge/this-woman-says-she-was-looking-for-a-man-with-sophistication-i/)

Merle Rutledge

Explore all 2 Merle Rutledge quotes

## More America quotes

> [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/)

[Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/)

> [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/)

[Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/)

> [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/)

> [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/)

[Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/)

> [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/)

[Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/)

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

[Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "People that are willing to fight for their rights is the real definition of the American Dream.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Merle Rutledge"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-rutledge/people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-their-rights-is-the-real/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "America"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-rutledge/people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-their-rights-is-the-real/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32a/merle-rutledge-92410_american-dream_people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-the_2050989.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“People that are willing to fight for their rights is the real definition of the American Dream.” — Merle Rutledge",
                "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": "Merle Rutledge",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-rutledge/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "People that are willing to fight...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-rutledge/people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-their-rights-is-the-real/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-rutledge/people-that-are-willing-to-fight-for-their-rights-is-the-real/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
