Joseph Cannon Quotes

The right of a minority is so important in a democracy.

Every man has a right to be heard; but no man has the right to strangle democracy with a single set of vocal cords.

They talked about how it was our rights as human beings to register and vote. I never knew we could vote before. Nobody ever told us.

The right to vote is one of our nation's most important civil rights.

In a democracy, voting is a huge and most important right of a common man.

People should not be able to vote to take away the rights of others.

I never miss a vote; I think that's the power of the people. A lot of people fought and died for us to have votes, for women to have votes in particular - your vote is your one weapon.

I'm the one who initiated the democratic process.

Perhaps we'll realize that each of us has not one vote but ten thousand or a million.

And that is my definition of democracy, the right to be in a minority and not be suppressed.

Minority rights are just as important as majority decisions.

The freedom to persuade and suggest is the essence of the democratic process.

Democratic processes require time.

Voting is the first duty of democracy.

Under universal suffrage the elected are those who know best how to take in the masses. The minority, which may happen to be the half minus one, is sacrificed.

Give all of the governed a voice in their government; that and that alone is self government.

Getting people to vote is the only way to break this tragic coalition in Congress.

It is not suffrage that gives life to democracy; it is our democratic society that gives life to suffrage.

Democracy divides the population into two groups: those of us who complain about government and those of us who are complained about.

I can't vote my own convictions on civil rights. If I did, I wouldn't be returned to the Senate. It's as simple as that.

Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process.

Here is the most important thing for us all to remember, for the sake of our common sanity and safety: In America, the right to vote and democratically elect a president is just as precious and valued as the right to protest and express yourself against that president.

We live in a democratic country, and in a democracy freedom of speech is for the people and also for the leaders.

We are a democracy, and we get the leaders we deserve because we elect them.

For democracy to function properly it requires accepting the absolute right of individuals and groups to campaign against decisions previously taken by majorities and to seek to change them.