--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only way you can get at the state is…" description: "\"The only way you can get at the state is by dealing with its laws.\" — Philip Berrigan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/philip-berrigan-32591_dealing-with-it_the-only-way-you-can-get-at-the-state-is_2606917.jpg" --- # The only way you can get at the state is by dealing with… ![“The only way you can get at the state is by dealing with its laws.” quote by Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/philip-berrigan-32591_dealing-with-it_the-only-way-you-can-get-at-the-state-is_2606917.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/philip-berrigan-32591_dealing-with-it_the-only-way-you-can-get-at-the-state-is_2606917.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/509/philip-berrigan-32591_dealing-with-it_the-only-way-you-can-get-at-the-state-is_2606917.jpg) > “The only way you can get at the state is by dealing with its laws.” [Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-berrigan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a system requires working within its legal framework. **In simple terms:** Follow the law to change the system. Key Takeaway Study the rules before acting. Themes law activism systems change Mood determined critical Type political activist When to use this quote - policy reform - community organizing - legal advocacy Key Concepts legal theory political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can you influence law without waiting for change? - What are the ethical limits of working within a flawed system? A Different Perspective Laws can be slow to evolve, limiting immediate impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) ## Related quotes > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. 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It's the only way I know to deal with it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/better-to-feel-nothing-to-be-numb-than-to-lose-control-it-s-the-only/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [Management of an industrial company must be giving targets to the engineers constantly; that may be the most important job management has in dealing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/management-of-an-industrial-company-must-be-giving-targets-to-the/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) > [ We said \[U.S\] are going to be repercussions of the mistaken way of dealing with it, of treating the terrorism, but nobody expected 11th… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-said-u-s-are-going-to-be-repercussions-of-the-mistaken-way-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) ## More by Philip Berrigan > [The poor tell us who we are, the prophets tell us who we could be, so we hide the poor, and kill the prophets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-berrigan/the-poor-tell-us-who-we-are-the-prophets-tell-us-who-we-could-be-so/) [Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-berrigan/) > [Nuclear weapons are the scourge of the earth; to mine for them, manufacture them, deploy them, use them, is a curse against God, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-berrigan/nuclear-weapons-are-the-scourge-of-the-earth-to-mine-for-them/) [Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-berrigan/) > [Herein lies a riddle: How can a people so gifted by God become so seduced by naked power, so greedy for money, so addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-berrigan/herein-lies-a-riddle-how-can-a-people-so-gifted-by-god-become-so/) [Philip Berrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-berrigan/) > [The use of depleted uranium in the Gulf War has been particularly effective. 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As far as suicide and depression and alcoholism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-barthe/some-of-the-things-i-m-talking-about-are-very-taboo-and-swept-under/) [Stacy Barthe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-barthe/) > [ We said \[U.S\] are going to be repercussions of the mistaken way of dealing with it, of treating the terrorism, but nobody expected 11th… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-said-u-s-are-going-to-be-repercussions-of-the-mistaken-way-of/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [“You can take All the Drama in your world, put that in a Blender . . . AND . . . I will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kolenda/you-can-take-all-the-drama-in-your-world-put-that-in-a-blender-and-i/) [Kevin Kolenda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kolenda/) > [Depression is something that has always figured in my life but now I'm dealing with it. 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