Freedom Of Speech Quotes - Page 2

• Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins. Republics and limited monarchies derive their strength and vigor from a popular examination into the action of the magistrates.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Taken, Government, Support

  "On Freedom of Speech and the Press". Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania Gazette, November 17, 1737.

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• I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking.

  Woodrow Wilson

  Encouraging, 4th Of July, Men

  Woodrow Wilson, Arthur Stanley Link, Woodrow Wilson Foundation, Princeton University (1988). “The papers of Woodrow Wilson”

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• Freedom of speech is the great bulwark of liberty; they prosper and die together: And it is the terror of traitors and oppressors, and a barrier against them. It produces excellent writers, and encourages men of fine genius.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Men, Liberty, Together

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• There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech

  Idi Amin

  Uganda, Guarantees, Speech

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  What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

  Salman Rushdie

  Honesty, Integrity, Expression

  Salman Rushdie (1990). “In good faith”, Penguin (Non-Classics)

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• Direct and easy communications — freedom of speech in all forms and in its broadest sense — has become vital to the very survival of a civilized humanity.

  Walt Disney

  Communication, Humanity, Survival

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• Freedom of speech is always under attack by Fascist mentality, which exists in all parts of the world, unfortunately.

  Lawrence Ferlinghetti

  World, Fascists, Limiting Freedom Of Expression

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• People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

  Soren Kierkegaard

  Freedom, Thinking, People

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• The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum.

  Adlai E. Stevenson

  Society, Principles, Flow

  The New York Times, January 19, 1962.

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  If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.

  John Stuart Mill

  Freedom, Philosophy, Differences

  On Liberty ch. 2 (1859)

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• Being offended by freedom of speech should never be regarded as a justification for violence.

  Alan Dershowitz

  Violence, Should, Justification

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• The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.

  Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

  Thinking, May, Censorship

  Oliver Wendell Holmes (2007). “Professor At The Breakfast Table”, p.118, Reprint Services Corporation

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• Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend people.

  Brad Thor

  Freedom, People, Speech

  Twitter post from Nov 10, 2015

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• The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.

  Hugo Black

  Peace, War, Government

  "New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713". Concurring opinion, 1971.

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• Without either the first or second amendment, we would have no liberty; the first allows us to find out what's happening, the second allows us to do something about it! The second will be taken away first, followed by the first and then the rest of our freedoms.

  Unknown

  Freedom, Taken, Gun

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• Free speech means the right to shout 'theatre' in a crowded fire.

  Abbie Hoffman

  Freedom, Mean, Technology

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  Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself — and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty.

  Chief Joseph

  Life, Strength, Teacher

  Lincoln Hall Speech in Washington D.C., January 14, 1879.

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• Two Soviets . . . were talking to each other. And one of them asked, "What's the difference between the Soviet Constitution and the United States Constitution?" And the other one said, "That's easy. The Soviet Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of gathering. The American Constitution guarantees freedom after speech and freedom after gathering."

  Ronald Reagan

  Freedom, Two, Differences

  United States. President (1981-1989 : Reagan), Ronald Reagan (1982). “Ronald Reagan”

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• It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.

  Mark Twain

  Wisdom, Country, Freedom

  Following the Equator ch. 20, "Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar" (1897)

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• It is easy to believe in freedom of speech for those with whom we agree.

  Leo McKern

  Freedom, Believe, Speech

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• For if Men are to be precluded from offering their Sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of Speech may be taken away, and dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.

  George Washington

  Taken, Men, Sheep

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “Writings: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts”, p.562

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• Freedom of speech means nothing to a people who are too weak in their convictions to speak out against the evil that is eating at the heart of the nation like a cancer.

  Billy Graham

  Cancer, Heart, Mean

  Billy Graham (1966). “The Quotable Billy Graham”

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• Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.

  John Milton

  Freedom, Giving, Liberty

  'Areopagitica' (1644) p. 34

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• Too many people - some of them judges - seem to think that freedom of speech means freedom from consequences for what you have said. If you believe that, try insulting your boss when you go to work tomorrow. Better yet, try insulting your spouse before going to bed tonight.

  Thomas Sowell

  Believe, Mean, Thinking

  "'Academic freedom'?" by Thomas Sowell, townhall.com. February 15, 2005.

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• Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know.... Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freedom of speech, a thing terrible to traitors.

  Benjamin Franklin

  Wisdom, Hurt, Freedom

  Andrew M. Allison, Willard Cleon Skousen, M. Richard Maxfield, Benjamin Franklin (1982). “The Real Benjamin Franklin”

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