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About this quote

What does it mean?
Lawful behavior is a requirement for citizenship, not a privilege to be granted.
In plain terms
You must follow the law; it is not a choice.
What can you take from it?
Obeying laws is a duty, not a favor.

Where it applies

  • legal compliance
  • citizenship
  • public order

Putting it to work

  • recognize legal obligations
  • respect public order

Questions to consider

  • When is disobedience justified?

Another view

It ignores situations where laws may be unjust.

More from Theodore Roosevelt

  1. Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

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  2. Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you've got to start young.

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  3. No man is worth his salt who is not ready at all times to risk his well-being, to risk his body, to risk his life, in a great cause.

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