--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only position when violence is…" description: "\"The only position when violence is threatened in response to a novel or a cartoon or a crappy YouTube video is a no-surrender position. This is how we ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/salman-rushdie-153_books_the-only-position-when-violence-is-threa_425165.jpg" --- # The only position when violence is threatened in response… ![“The only position when violence is threatened in response to a novel or a cartoon or a crappy YouTube video is a no-surrender position. This is how we live. We live in a country in which we have these rights, and we're not going to give them up. Full stop. The end.” quote by Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/salman-rushdie-153_books_the-only-position-when-violence-is-threa_425165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/salman-rushdie-153_books_the-only-position-when-violence-is-threa_425165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/salman-rushdie-153_books_the-only-position-when-violence-is-threa_425165.jpg) > “The only position when violence is threatened in response to a novel or a cartoon or a crappy YouTube video is a no-surrender position. This is how we live. We live in a country in which we have these rights, and we're not going to give them up. Full stop. The end.” [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence is threatened against creative works, yet we must not surrender our rights; we must stand firm. **In simple terms:** We must defend free expression despite threats. Key Takeaway Defend free speech boldly. Themes freedom expression resistance Mood defiant urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - media criticism - online harassment - political protest - artistic creation Key Concepts censorship civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance safety and free expression? - What responsibilities accompany free speech? A Different Perspective Defending rights can provoke further conflict. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Cartoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cartoon/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Position Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position-violence-3760502/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender/) [Surrender Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrender-position-3760504/) [Threatened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threatened/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [Video Surrender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video-surrender-3760503/) [Violence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence/) [Violence Threatened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/violence-threatened-3760505/) [Youtube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youtube/) ## Related quotes > [“It is the violence which is done and threatened to our persons; the destruction of our property by an armed force; the invasion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-is-the-violence-which-is-done-and-threatened-to-our-persons-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The Japanese government has accepted the notion that Japan is the loser, and it appears to be going to accept unconditional surrender. Such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/the-japanese-government-has-accepted-the-notion-that-japan-is-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Ibn Taymiyyah lived poorly. He was imprisoned and threatened. But I have never seen anyone as happy as him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/ibn-taymiyyah-lived-poorly-he-was-imprisoned-and-threatened-but-i/) [Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [What makes me angry'is that it wasn't me who revealed that I had been with Osama Bin Laden. I originally denied being involved with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/what-makes-me-angry-is-that-it-wasn-t-me-who-revealed-that-i-had-been/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [No one seems to have learned, or can remember, the magic words that calm people when they are frightened or threatened: "I'm sorry; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/no-one-seems-to-have-learned-or-can-remember-the-magic-words-that/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [A federal grand jury is investigating allegations that David Copperfield raped, assaulted and threatened a woman he took to his private island in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/a-federal-grand-jury-is-investigating-allegations-that-david/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Americans have always had an ambivalent attitude toward intelligence. When they feel threatened, they want a lot of it, and when they don't, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-a-walters/americans-have-always-had-an-ambivalent-attitude-toward-intelligence/) [Vernon A. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-a-walters/) > [At a time when painting itself often seems to be a threatened, even despised, form of artistic activity, Andrew Salgado emerges as a dazzlingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucie-smith/at-a-time-when-painting-itself-often-seems-to-be-a-threatened-even/) [Edward Lucie-Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucie-smith/) > [New Jersey was threatened like no other region in this country and what we did was we took action within the constitution to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/new-jersey-was-threatened-like-no-other-region-in-this-country-and/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [No matter how beautiful a woman might be, you're always threatened by certain... You're always threatened by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/no-matter-how-beautiful-a-woman-might-be-you-re-always-threatened-by/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [To be positive at all times is to ignore all that is important, sacred or valuable. To be negative at all times is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-cobain/to-be-positive-at-all-times-is-to-ignore-all-that-is-important-sacred/) [Kurt Cobain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-cobain/) > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) ## More by Salman Rushdie > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [It's a terrible thing that your life turns into a good story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-a-terrible-thing-that-your-life-turns-into-a-good-story/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I want to write novels. I want to write stories. I want to do the stuff that I became a writer to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-want-to-write-novels-i-want-to-write-stories-i-want-to-do-the-stuff/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [If you want to be a serious writer, then you have to write what there is to write about. 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I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'd wanted to create a storm so that I could become more famous and richer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-d-wanted-to-create-a-storm-so-that-i-could-become-more-famous-and/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Who what am I? My answer: I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/who-what-am-i-my-answer-i-am-the-sum-total-of-everything-that-went/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“...proving once again that there was no escape from recurrence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/proving-once-again-that-there-was-no-escape-from-recurrence/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“information, in a stream-of-consciousness soliloquy that revealed the extent to which he had internalised the adversarial fragmentation of American culture and made it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/information-in-a-stream-of-consciousness-soliloquy-that-revealed-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [A little bit of one story joins onto an idea from another, and hey presto, . . . not old tales but new ones.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-little-bit-of-one-story-joins-onto-an-idea-from-another-and-hey/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I'm a novelist. Fortunately I don't have to rule the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-a-novelist-fortunately-i-don-t-have-to-rule-the-world/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The First Amendment defends all forms of speech including hate speech, which is why groups like Ku Klux Klan are allowed to utter their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/the-first-amendment-defends-all-forms-of-speech-including-hate-speech/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) [Explore all 1,087 Salman Rushdie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The only position when violence is threatened in response to a novel or a cartoon or a crappy YouTube video is a no-surrender position. This is how we live. We live in a country in which we have these rights, and we're not going to give them up. Full stop. 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