--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They don't gotta burn the books they just…" description: "\"They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em\" — Zack de la Rocha" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg" --- # They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em ![“They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em” quote by Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg) > “They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em” [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Instead of destroying books, censorship can be achieved by simply removing them from access. **In simple terms:** Removing books is a form of censorship. Key Takeaway Beware subtle erasure of ideas. Themes censorship freedom knowledge activism Mood critical defiant Type political philosophical When to use this quote - libraries - digital platforms - education policies Key Concepts media control cultural memory political power Questions to Reflect On - How does removal differ from destruction? - What are modern equivalents of “removing books”? A Different Perspective Silencing ideas can also happen through misinformation, not just removal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Burn Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burn-books-304784/) [Ems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ems/) [Gotta Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gotta-burn-1868708/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Just Remove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-remove-2590525/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Rage against the machine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rage-against-the-machine/) [Remove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remove/) [Remove Em](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remove-em-5266974/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [If I feel there's any weird tension or not a very nice vibe going on, I just remove myself from the situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mckenna/if-i-feel-there-s-any-weird-tension-or-not-a-very-nice-vibe-going-on/) [Megan McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mckenna/) > [“...I gotta burn these scales... sigh\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroko-sakai/i-gotta-burn-these-scales-sigh/) [Hiroko Sakai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroko-sakai/) > [“Where's your dad?" "Gone. Where does he go, anyway?" "He probably has work to do." "Yeah, gotta go burn a bush for Moses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/where-s-your-dad-gone-where-does-he-go-anyway-he-probably-has-work-to/) [Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/) > [Who controls the past now controls the future Who controls the present now controls the past Who controls the past now controls the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/who-controls-the-past-now-controls-the-future-who-controls-the/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Yes I know my enemies. They're the teachers who taught me to fight me, compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/yes-i-know-my-enemies-they-re-the-teachers-who-taught-me-to-fight-me/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/some-of-those-that-work-forces-are-the-same-that-burn-crosses/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/if-ignorance-is-bliss-then-knock-the-smile-off-my-face/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Is all the world jails and churches?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/is-all-the-world-jails-and-churches/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime, what better place than here? What better time than now?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/it-has-to-start-somewhere-it-has-to-start-sometime-what-better-place/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [When ignorance reigns, life is lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/when-ignorance-reigns-life-is-lost/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [The classroom's the last room to get the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/the-classroom-s-the-last-room-to-get-the-truth/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [A friend of ours said if the same laws were applied to U.S. Presidents as were applied to the Nazis after WWII, that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/a-friend-of-ours-said-if-the-same-laws-were-applied-to-u-s-presidents/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Charles Manson loved the Beatles but didn’t understand them. Governor Chris Christie loves Bruce Springsteen but doesn’t understand him. And Paul Ryan is clueless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-morello/charles-manson-loved-the-beatles-but-didn-t-understand-them-governor/) [Tom Morello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-morello/) > [“What’s the matter with you, Madox? You got a grudge against the world?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-williams/what-s-the-matter-with-you-madox-you-got-a-grudge-against-the-world/) [Charles Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-williams/) > [I love Soundgarden, I love Rage Against the Machine, Simon & Garfunkel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-dewyze/i-love-soundgarden-i-love-rage-against-the-machine-simon-garfunkel/) [Lee DeWyze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-dewyze/) ## More by Zack de la Rocha > [Without just cause of reason, without legal or moral justification, and without a thread of proof that Iraq directly threatens the security of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/without-just-cause-of-reason-without-legal-or-moral-justification-and/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [I think animals should be free. There's so much other food out there that doesn't have to involve you in that cycle of pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/i-think-animals-should-be-free-there-s-so-much-other-food-out-there/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [I think every revolutionary act is an act of love. Every song that I've written, it is because of my desire to use music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/i-think-every-revolutionary-act-is-an-act-of-love-every-song-that-i/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [A friend of ours said if the same laws were applied to U.S. Presidents as were applied to the Nazis after WWII, that every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/a-friend-of-ours-said-if-the-same-laws-were-applied-to-u-s-presidents/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Your anger is a gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/your-anger-is-a-gift/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [The classroom's the last room to get the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/the-classroom-s-the-last-room-to-get-the-truth/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [One of the great things about young people is that they do question, that they do care deeply about justice, and they they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/one-of-the-great-things-about-young-people-is-that-they-do-question/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Fools follow rules when the set commands you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/fools-follow-rules-when-the-set-commands-you/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [When ignorance reigns, life is lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/when-ignorance-reigns-life-is-lost/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Inside me, I think that an animal goes through a lot of pain in the whole cycle of death in the slaughterhouse; just living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/inside-me-i-think-that-an-animal-goes-through-a-lot-of-pain-in-the/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [I'm in this band to give volume to various struggles throughout the world. To me, the tension in this band is a minimal sacrifice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/i-m-in-this-band-to-give-volume-to-various-struggles-throughout-the/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime, what better place than here? What better time than now?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/it-has-to-start-somewhere-it-has-to-start-sometime-what-better-place/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [If ignorance is bliss, then knock the smile off my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/if-ignorance-is-bliss-then-knock-the-smile-off-my-face/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [Brothers and sisters, our democracy has been hijacked. Brothers and sisters, all electoral freedoms in this country are over so long as it's controlled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/brothers-and-sisters-our-democracy-has-been-hijacked-brothers-and/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) > [It is important for me, as a popular artist, to make clear to the governments of the United States and Mexico that despite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/it-is-important-for-me-as-a-popular-artist-to-make-clear-to-the/) [Zack de la Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) [Explore all 26 Zack de la Rocha quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/) ## More Book 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Zack de la Rocha" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-just-remove-em/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-just-remove-em/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afe/zack-de-la-rocha-23388_book_they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-jus_3082965.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They don't gotta burn the books they just remove 'em” — Zack de la Rocha", "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": "Zack de la Rocha", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-de-la-rocha/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They don't gotta burn the books...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-just-remove-em/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-de-la-rocha/they-don-t-gotta-burn-the-books-they-just-remove-em/#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 } } ] } ```