We light the oven so that everyone may bake bread in it.
Jose MartiRead
He who uses the office he owes to the voters wrongfully and against them is a thief.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Abusing power is akin to stealing from those who placed trust in you.
This quote by José Martí emphasizes the moral responsibility of elected officials to act in the best interest of their constituents. By likening the misuse of political office to theft, Martí underscores the betrayal that occurs when leaders prioritize their own interests over the welfare of the voters who entrusted them with power.
Themes
PoliticsBetrayalLeadershipTrustResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, a speaker could use this quote to emphasize the importance of integrity in leadership.
More from Jose Marti
All quotes →Like bones to the human body, the axle to the wheel, the wing to the bird, and the air to the wing, so is liberty the essence of life. Whatever is done without it is imperfect.
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Men have no special right because they belong to one race or another: the word man defines all rights.
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Other famous men, those of much talk and few deeds, soon evaporate. Action is the dignity of greatness.
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Man is a living duty, a depository of powers that he must not leave in a brute state. Man is a wing.
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Like stones rolling down hills, fair ideas reach their objectives despite all obstacles and barriers. It may be possible to speed or hinder them, but impossible to stop them.
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