the past has a vote, not a veto

proverb

Historical traditions ought to guide how people in the present live their lives, but can be overriden if they are contrary to modern sensibilities.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. chiefly Reconstructionist JudaismHistorical traditions ought to guide how people in the present live their lives, but can be overriden if they are contrary to modern sensibilities.

Origin

Coined by Mordecai Kaplan.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

the past has a vote, not a veto. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20past%20has%20a%20vote%2C%20not%20a%20veto

MLA

“the past has a vote, not a veto.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20past%20has%20a%20vote%2C%20not%20a%20veto. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the past has a vote, not a veto,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20past%20has%20a%20vote%2C%20not%20a%20veto.

Source: the past has a vote, not a veto on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.