--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only those who would be called upon to…" description: "\"Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives for their country should have the privilege of voting to determine whether the nation should go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/smedley-butler-17291_country_only-those-who-would-be-called-upon-to-r_478343.png" --- # Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives… ![“Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives for their country should have the privilege of voting to determine whether the nation should go to war.” quote by Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/smedley-butler-17291_country_only-those-who-would-be-called-upon-to-r_478343.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/smedley-butler-17291_country_only-those-who-would-be-called-upon-to-r_478343.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/smedley-butler-17291_country_only-those-who-would-be-called-upon-to-r_478343.png) > “Only those who would be called upon to risk their lives for their country should have the privilege of voting to determine whether the nation should go to war.” [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only citizens willing to sacrifice their lives for the nation should decide on war, emphasizing responsibility over entitlement. **In simple terms:** Only those who risk their lives should vote on war. Key Takeaway Link voting rights to willingness to serve. Themes civic duty war responsibility democracy Mood serious reflective Type political ethical When to use this quote - military service - national policy debates - elections - public discourse Key Concepts social contract citizen-soldier political legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - Should voting rights be tied to military service? - How to ensure all citizens have a voice in war decisions? A Different Perspective Excludes those who cannot serve, potentially disenfranchising non‑combatants. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I have never yet exercised the privilege of voting, but had I been called upon at the last presidential election to do so, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-taylor/i-have-never-yet-exercised-the-privilege-of-voting-but-had-i-been/) [Zachary Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-taylor/) > [When I competed, it was for honor and country. 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A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/war-is-just-a-racket-a-racket-is-best-described-i-believe-as/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-helped-make-mexico-especially-tampico-safe-for-american-oil/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [“I spent thirty-three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-spent-thirty-three-years-and-four-months-in-active-military-service/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [One hundred and twenty Marines were detailed to officer a force of twenty-six hundred Haitians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/one-hundred-and-twenty-marines-were-detailed-to-officer-a-force-of/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [I served in all commissioned ranks from a second Lieutenant to a Major General. 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