--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To riot or not to riot, that is the…" description: "\"“To riot or not to riot, that is the question.”\" — Steven Magee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg" --- # To riot or not to riot, that is the question. ![“To riot or not to riot, that is the question.” quote by Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg) > ““To riot or not to riot, that is the question.”” [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A rhetorical twist on Hamlet’s soliloquy, questioning the decision to engage in civil unrest versus restraint. **In simple terms:** Choosing protest or peace. Key Takeaway Weighing collective action versus order. Themes civil unrest decision making political agency social responsibility activism Mood defiant reflective critical Type political philosophical satirical When to use this quote - public demonstrations - community meetings - online activism - political rallies - policy debates Key Concepts protest authority risk collective behavior Practical Applications - strategic planning for social movements - educational discussions on civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - When is protest justified? - What alternatives exist to violent uprising? A Different Perspective Violence can undermine legitimate grievances and provoke backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Common people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-people/) [Government corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-corruption/) [Police-corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-corruption/) [Protest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protest/) [Protesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protesting/) [Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/question/) [Riot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riot/) [Riot Question](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riot-question-416081/) [Riot Riot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riot-riot-416082/) [Rioting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rioting/) [Riots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riots/) ## Related quotes > [“There is an intentional disregard for human health and safety in many government agencies that are tasked with protecting it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-an-intentional-disregard-for-human-health-and-safety-in-many/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“protectionI requested the figures on OSHA whistle-blower complaints made and the number actually upheld. OSHA refused to supply them. They also refused to uphold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/protectioni-requested-the-figures-on-osha-whistle-blower-complaints/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Police internal affairs is amongst the most corrupt departments that you will find in governments.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/police-internal-affairs-is-amongst-the-most-corrupt-departments-that/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“You know that when ex-military personnel start assassinating their own government's agents that something funky is going on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-know-that-when-ex-military-personnel-start-assassinating-their/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Corrupt and incompetent police officers have a long history of being protected by their colleagues, police internal affairs and the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/corrupt-and-incompetent-police-officers-have-a-long-history-of-being/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“A police officer is paid to be attacked by angry people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/a-police-officer-is-paid-to-be-attacked-by-angry-people/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The majority of the common people do not realize that calling 911 may result in a stressed out armed police officer that has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-majority-of-the-common-people-do-not-realize-that-calling-911-may/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“It is my assessment that most police officers who spend their days driving around USA cities will have some level of radiation sickness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-my-assessment-that-most-police-officers-who-spend-their-days/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The Democratic Party would like to be re-elected so that they can continue to uphold almost no Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) whistle-blower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-democratic-party-would-like-to-be-re-elected-so-that-they-can/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Police not enforcing laws results in a high crime rate that is formally reported as a low crime rate in police statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/police-not-enforcing-laws-results-in-a-high-crime-rate-that-is/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“You know that when a police officer refuses to produce formal identification on request, they are probably engaging in some form of corruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-know-that-when-a-police-officer-refuses-to-produce-formal/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Corporate media rarely reports the fact that police internal affairs uphold hardly any complaints from the masses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/corporate-media-rarely-reports-the-fact-that-police-internal-affairs/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Beware of the armed and dangerous police blue brotherhood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/beware-of-the-armed-and-dangerous-police-blue-brotherhood/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“In the era of angry and aggressive policing, it is an honorable service to your fellow citizens to video record police officers interactions with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/in-the-era-of-angry-and-aggressive-policing-it-is-an-honorable/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Police Officer Angry Aggression Theory (POAAT) is why you need to video record the police before they shoot you. Always start the video camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/police-officer-angry-aggression-theory-poaat-is-why-you-need-to-video/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More by Steven Magee > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The police ultimately pay the price for poor customer service when citizens become fearful of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-police-ultimately-pay-the-price-for-poor-customer-service-when/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“It is unnatural to fear something natural.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unnatural-to-fear-something-natural/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The world is witnessing one of the greatest frauds the Florida government has ever engaged in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-world-is-witnessing-one-of-the-greatest-frauds-the-florida/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is largely an interrogation agency for whistle-blowers that extracts their full range of knowledge without upholding their legal rights.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/occupational-safety-health-administration-osha-is-largely-an/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The medical profession is a money making con, they will keep you sick on a variety of expensive prescriptions and on a yo-yo into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-medical-profession-is-a-money-making-con-they-will-keep-you-sick/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“There is a time and place for electromagnetic shielding and I regard it as a last resort due to the long term biological problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-is-a-time-and-place-for-electromagnetic-shielding-and-i-regard/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Publicly telling the truth on social media can be one of the most effective healing journeys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/publicly-telling-the-truth-on-social-media-can-be-one-of-the-most/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The W. M. Keck Observatory is the only employer that has surprised me during my employment with urine tests for illegal drugs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-w-m-keck-observatory-is-the-only-employer-that-has-surprised-me/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I will do everything I legally can to shut down the toxic Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project atop Mauna Kea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-will-do-everything-i-legally-can-to-shut-down-the-toxic-thirty/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The difference between President Trump and Steven Magee? Steven Magee publicly acknowledges his mental illnesses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-difference-between-president-trump-and-steven-magee-steven-magee/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“There were a lot of stressed out people in the company as we were discovering how dangerous the DeSoto Solar Farm was!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-were-a-lot-of-stressed-out-people-in-the-company-as-we-were/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Interacting with a corrupt government judge is futile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/interacting-with-a-corrupt-government-judge-is-futile/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I knew I was disabled when everyday home activities became overwhelming!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-knew-i-was-disabled-when-everyday-home-activities-became/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“I did customer service for a company. I hated it, as the customers knew they were building problematic systems!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/i-did-customer-service-for-a-company-i-hated-it-as-the-customers-knew/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) [Explore all 1,204 Steven Magee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) ## More Authority quotes > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [I think people need to be comfortable questioning the authority of a doctor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susannah-cahalan/i-think-people-need-to-be-comfortable-questioning-the-authority-of-a/) [Susannah Cahalan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susannah-cahalan/) > [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [“I'm of the age and immaturity level that I cannot give you my respect solely because you are older or ranked higher on an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-goros/i-m-of-the-age-and-immaturity-level-that-i-cannot-give-you-my-respect/) [Erica Goros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-goros/) > [In the end theologians are jealous of science, for they are aware that it has greater authority than do their own ways of finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-a-coyne/in-the-end-theologians-are-jealous-of-science-for-they-are-aware-that/) [Jerry A. Coyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-a-coyne/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Miracles are like candles lit up until the sun rises, and then blown out. Therefore, I am amused when I hear sects and churches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/miracles-are-like-candles-lit-up-until-the-sun-rises-and-then-blown/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-millett/the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imposition-of-male-authority/) [Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-millett/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) [Browse all 4,003 Authority quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To riot or not to riot, that is the question.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Magee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-question/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authority" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-question/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ed4/steven-magee-129_authority_to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-quest_27395.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To riot or not to riot, that is the question.” — Steven Magee", "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": "Steven Magee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To riot or not to riot,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-question/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/to-riot-or-not-to-riot-that-is-the-question/#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 } } ] } ```