--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In case anybody asks you about my…" description: "\"In case anybody asks you about my position on capital punishment, you can tell them I favor it; and if they want to know why, you can tell them this st..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg" --- # In case anybody asks you about my position on capital… ![“In case anybody asks you about my position on capital punishment, you can tell them I favor it; and if they want to know why, you can tell them this story.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg) > “In case anybody asks you about my position on capital punishment, you can tell them I favor it; and if they want to know why, you can tell them this story.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker suggests using a personal story to justify support for capital punishment when questioned. **In simple terms:** Explain your stance with a narrative. Key Takeaway Use stories to clarify controversial views. Themes politics justice communication Mood persuasive controversial Type political ethical When to use this quote - debates - legal discussions - media interviews Key Concepts rhetoric storytelling ethics Questions to Reflect On - What story could illustrate the moral complexities of capital punishment? - Can personal anecdotes replace systematic analysis? A Different Perspective Stories can oversimplify complex moral issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capital punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital-punishment/) [Death penalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-penalty/) [Liar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liar/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [Money can make people look at you in strange ways. You get phone calls from people you haven't spoken with in a long time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-allen/money-can-make-people-look-at-you-in-strange-ways-you-get-phone-calls/) [Ray Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-allen/) > [Before I give you a blessing, I ask you for a favor: I want you to bless me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/before-i-give-you-a-blessing-i-ask-you-for-a-favor-i-want-you-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I favor capital punishment. It saves lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-favor-capital-punishment-it-saves-lives/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I think capital punishment works great. Every killer you kill never kills again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-think-capital-punishment-works-great-every-killer-you-kill-never/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [People who are well represented at trial do not get the death penalty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/people-who-are-well-represented-at-trial-do-not-get-the-death-penalty/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [“Today capital punishment is widely seen as a human rights violation. In 2007 the UN General Assembly voted 105–54 (with 29 abstentions) to declare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/today-capital-punishment-is-widely-seen-as-a-human-rights-violation/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [That led me to say that when push comes to shove, I'm against capital punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/that-led-me-to-say-that-when-push-comes-to-shove-i-m-against-capital/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-locke/whoso-sheddeth-man-s-blood-by-man-shall-his-blood-be-shed/) [John Locke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-locke/) > [I have come to think that capital punishment should be abolished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kemp/i-have-come-to-think-that-capital-punishment-should-be-abolished/) [Jack Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kemp/) > [An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/an-eye-for-an-eye-and-a-tooth-for-a-tooth/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Plea Against the Death Penalty Look, examine, reflect. You hold capital punishment up as an example. Why? Because of what it teaches. And just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/plea-against-the-death-penalty-look-examine-reflect-you-hold-capital/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [I don't know if the question is whether you believe in capital punishment anymore. I think the greater question is its effectiveness and given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tani-cantil-sakauye/i-don-t-know-if-the-question-is-whether-you-believe-in-capital/) Tani Cantil-Sakauye > [ “\[T\]here are some human rights that are so deep that we can't negotiate them away. I mean people do heinous, terrible things. But there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sister-helen-prejean/t-here-are-some-human-rights-that-are-so-deep-that-we-can-t-negotiate/) Sister Helen Prejean > [Capital punishment would be more effective as a preventive measure if it were administered prior to the crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/capital-punishment-would-be-more-effective-as-a-preventive-measure-if/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/to-take-a-life-when-a-life-has-been-lost-is-revenge-not-justice/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [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/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! 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George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [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/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In case anybody asks you about my position on capital punishment, you can tell them I favor it; and if they want to know why, you can tell them this story.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-position-on-capital-punishment-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-position-on-capital-punishment-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/933/ronald-reagan-119_asks_in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-positi_510637.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In case anybody asks you about my position on capital punishment, you can tell them I favor it; and if they…” — Ronald Reagan", "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": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In case anybody asks you about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-position-on-capital-punishment-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/in-case-anybody-asks-you-about-my-position-on-capital-punishment-you/#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 } } ] } ```