--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not voting is one of the worst things…" description: "\"Not voting is one of the worst things that could happen in our community. You can vote for whoever you want to, but choosing not to vote spits in the f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/otis-moss-iii-37025_ancestor_not-voting-is-one-of-the-worst-things-th_377789.jpg" --- # Not voting is one of the worst things that could happen in… ![“Not voting is one of the worst things that could happen in our community. You can vote for whoever you want to, but choosing not to vote spits in the face of our ancestors who fought for our right to vote.” quote by Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/otis-moss-iii-37025_ancestor_not-voting-is-one-of-the-worst-things-th_377789.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/otis-moss-iii-37025_ancestor_not-voting-is-one-of-the-worst-things-th_377789.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/702/otis-moss-iii-37025_ancestor_not-voting-is-one-of-the-worst-things-th_377789.jpg) > “Not voting is one of the worst things that could happen in our community. You can vote for whoever you want to, but choosing not to vote spits in the face of our ancestors who fought for our right to vote.” [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing not to vote disregards ancestors’ sacrifices and weakens democratic influence. **In simple terms:** Not voting disrespects ancestors. Key Takeaway Vote to honor past struggles. Themes civic duty democracy heritage responsibility Mood motivational serious Type political activational When to use this quote - elections - community meetings - policy debates - activism - civic education Key Concepts political engagement social contract Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent you from voting? - How can you amplify your civic voice? A Different Perspective Voting alone may not change systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Not voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-voting/) [Right to vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-to-vote/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) [Worst things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-things/) ## Related quotes > [I feel a real responsibility to my community and so right now there has been this bizarre myth in our community how our vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/i-feel-a-real-responsibility-to-my-community-and-so-right-now-there/) [Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/) > [Choosing how you vote should not be a snap verdict based on a few minutes of television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/choosing-how-you-vote-should-not-be-a-snap-verdict-based-on-a-few/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [You go into a community and they will vote 80 percent to 20 percent in favor of a tougher Clean Air Act, but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ruckelshaus/you-go-into-a-community-and-they-will-vote-80-percent-to-20-percent/) [William Ruckelshaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ruckelshaus/) > [As a citizen of a community, if you never vote or engage, don't be surprised when the outcome doesn't serve your interests; you've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/as-a-citizen-of-a-community-if-you-never-vote-or-engage-don-t-be/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [I feel a real responsibility to my community and so right now there has been this bizarre myth in our community how our vote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jada-pinkett-smith/i-feel-a-real-responsibility-to-my-community-and-so-right-now-there-2/) [Jada Pinkett Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jada-pinkett-smith/) > [Ever since the civil rights movement, the black church has always encouraged people to utilize their voting right, which is a right that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/ever-since-the-civil-rights-movement-the-black-church-has-always/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [I want people to vote, I want them to pay attention. I want them to get up and go and vote and care about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/i-want-people-to-vote-i-want-them-to-pay-attention-i-want-them-to-get/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [We live in America, thank God, and we have our choice to vote for who we want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marky-ramone/we-live-in-america-thank-god-and-we-have-our-choice-to-vote-for-who/) [Marky Ramone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marky-ramone/) > [Whether you're Democrat or Republican... you want everybody who's eligible to vote to vote, and that's how you want to win elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-schmidt/whether-you-re-democrat-or-republican-you-want-everybody-who-s/) [Steve Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-schmidt/) > [I'd rather vote for something I want and not get it than vote for something I don't want, and get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/i-d-rather-vote-for-something-i-want-and-not-get-it-than-vote-for/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [I think the words 'vote strategically' translates in the human brain to: 'Oh I can't vote for what I want.' And that's discouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/i-think-the-words-vote-strategically-translates-in-the-human-brain-to/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [I don't want to come to Washington to be just another vote. I want to lead on issues that are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-martinez/i-don-t-want-to-come-to-washington-to-be-just-another-vote-i-want-to/) [Mel Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-martinez/) > [Democrats, Republicans, independents, people across America. If you don't vote for me, I still want to be your president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/democrats-republicans-independents-people-across-america-if-you-don-t/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [People can vote for who ever they want. That doesn't mean I have to go near them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/people-can-vote-for-who-ever-they-want-that-doesn-t-mean-i-have-to-go/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [“You have to educate people first— you can't let them go out and vote for whatever they want! You don't know what you'd end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/una-mccormack/you-have-to-educate-people-first-you-can-t-let-them-go-out-and-vote/) [Una McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/una-mccormack/) ## More by Otis Moss III > [It's very difficult for you to speak out against your child, someone that's in your family. You can have an argument with them, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/it-s-very-difficult-for-you-to-speak-out-against-your-child-someone/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [Most pastors railing against gay marriage have never cried out on racism, any type of injustice or police brutality. They've never once made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/most-pastors-railing-against-gay-marriage-have-never-cried-out-on/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [There's some homophobia within black community, but there's some strong homophobia throughout the whole of American society as well, particularly throughout the South to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/there-s-some-homophobia-within-black-community-but-there-s-some/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [We should be supportive of the president and supportive of rights of all in a pluralistic democracy that we're called to love. And we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/we-should-be-supportive-of-the-president-and-supportive-of-rights-of/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [Being outraged about two men or two women, it requires absolutely no work on the ground. So you can be outraged and you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/being-outraged-about-two-men-or-two-women-it-requires-absolutely-no/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [Ever since the civil rights movement, the black church has always encouraged people to utilize their voting right, which is a right that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-moss-iii/ever-since-the-civil-rights-movement-the-black-church-has-always/) [Otis Moss III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otis-moss-iii/) > [That it is not same-gender relationships that are destroying marriage. 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Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. 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