--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you know something damaging about a…" description: "\"If you know something damaging about a major political figure, then, in a democracy, it is surely your duty to tell the voters before they go to the po..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/peter-hitchens-4419_democracy_if-you-know-something-damaging-about-a-m_2089653.png" --- # If you know something damaging about a major political… ![“If you know something damaging about a major political figure, then, in a democracy, it is surely your duty to tell the voters before they go to the polls.” quote by Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/peter-hitchens-4419_democracy_if-you-know-something-damaging-about-a-m_2089653.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/peter-hitchens-4419_democracy_if-you-know-something-damaging-about-a-m_2089653.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af9/peter-hitchens-4419_democracy_if-you-know-something-damaging-about-a-m_2089653.png) > “If you know something damaging about a major political figure, then, in a democracy, it is surely your duty to tell the voters before they go to the polls.” [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In a democracy, exposing damaging info about leaders before elections is a civic duty. **In simple terms:** Reveal harmful facts before voting. Key Takeaway Inform voters truthfully. Themes politics transparency civic duty Mood critical responsible Type political ethical When to use this quote - election campaigns - journalism - public debates Key Concepts ethics democracy Questions to Reflect On - When is disclosure justified? - How to verify claims? A Different Perspective Risk of defamation exists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) ## Related quotes > [These modern means of communication are one reason why I recently opposed the Government's decision to grant MPs a new communications allowance. 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/major-political-parties-have-a-role-but-they-are-incapable-of/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Listening to evangelicals bridges major political fault line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/listening-to-evangelicals-bridges-major-political-fault-line/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [In addition to the decline in competition, American politics today is characterized by a growing ideological polarization between the two major political parties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-e-mann/in-addition-to-the-decline-in-competition-american-politics-today-is/) [Thomas E. 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I try to use them only when I absolutely have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/i-hate-cars-and-wish-they-had-never-been-invented-i-try-to-use-them/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [What we need and have not got at Westminster are real experience and wisdom, possessed by people who do not view politics as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/what-we-need-and-have-not-got-at-westminster-are-real-experience-and/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The Left have always preferred the state to the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/the-left-have-always-preferred-the-state-to-the-family/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [“Americans may say they love our accents (I have been accused of sounding 'like Princess Di') but the more thoughtful ones resent and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/americans-may-say-they-love-our-accents-i-have-been-accused-of/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [As I am actually partly Cornish, I am frequently tempted to start some sort of Cornish liberation front in the Home Counties, where our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/as-i-am-actually-partly-cornish-i-am-frequently-tempted-to-start-some/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Fear is good and useful when it's deployed on the side of common sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/fear-is-good-and-useful-when-it-s-deployed-on-the-side-of-common-sense/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [It's interesting how thrillers reflect the times we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/it-s-interesting-how-thrillers-reflect-the-times-we-live-in/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Terrorists are overjoyed when we shut down our freedoms and turn ourselves into a police state and when we retaliate, swatting the Middle East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/terrorists-are-overjoyed-when-we-shut-down-our-freedoms-and-turn/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Comprehensive schools, as too few understand, have never been designed to improve education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/comprehensive-schools-as-too-few-understand-have-never-been-designed/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [If you want a day free of work, you must expect others to have the same privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/if-you-want-a-day-free-of-work-you-must-expect-others-to-have-the/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The giant fraud that is Britain's education system strides ever onwards, messing up many more lives than it improves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/the-giant-fraud-that-is-britain-s-education-system-strides-ever/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [The worst country I ever lived in, the old U.S.S.R., was crammed with privileges for the political elite. 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This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. 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