When I say I don't get involved in politics, I merely mean that

When Leon Russell declared, “When I say I don’t get involved in politics, I merely mean that I don’t talk to reporters about it,” he spoke with the shrewd wisdom of one who knew the double-edged nature of words. His statement reveals that silence before the public does not mean absence of thought. Rather, it is a shield—a way to guard one’s convictions from distortion and spectacle. For in the realm of politics, words spoken openly are often twisted, while those kept private remain pure.

The ancients knew this tension well. In Athens, Socrates refused to write down his teachings, for he feared the written word would be misused or misunderstood. He chose to speak only in dialogue, where truth could be refined. So too did Russell choose to withhold his political views from reporters, not because he lacked them, but because he knew the danger of entrusting them to an audience eager for scandal rather than wisdom. Silence, in this sense, was not weakness but strategy.

History offers many parallels. Consider George Washington, who despised the poison of partisan politics. Though he surely carried opinions and judgments, he sought to rise above public disputes, knowing that to indulge in them would fracture the fragile unity of his new nation. Like Russell, he understood that to speak too freely on politics could bring more harm than good, and so he guarded his words carefully, speaking only when necessity demanded.

Russell’s statement also reminds us that every soul is political by nature, whether they claim it or not. To live in a community, to vote, to choose, is already to engage in politics. His refusal, then, was not to participate, but to participate wisely—shielding his inner compass from the glare of media and preserving his integrity from being consumed by noise.

Thus, let this wisdom endure: not every conviction must be shouted from the rooftops. There is power in knowing when to speak and when to remain silent. For in a world where every word can be sharpened into a weapon, discretion becomes a kind of armor. Leon Russell’s words remind us that one may still walk the path of justice and truth without feeding the flames of spectacle—for the deepest politics are often practiced in action, not in proclamation.