A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.

Vaughan’s line is a pointed critique of civic inconsistency: Americans may be willing to make dramatic sacrifices in the name of “democracy” abroad—symbolized by crossing an ocean to fight—yet neglect the most basic democratic duty at home, voting, which requires comparatively little effort. The contrast exposes a gap between professed ideals and everyday practice, suggesting that democracy is sustained less by heroic gestures than by routine participation. The aphorism also implies that patriotism can be performative or episodic, while the health of a republic depends on unglamorous, regular acts of citizenship such as turning out in elections.