Freedom Of Speech quotes
237 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside freedom of speech — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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"Strange it is that men should admit the validity of the arguments for free speech but object to their being "pushed to an extreme," not seeing that unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good for any case."
"Resist this war on God, freedom of religion and freedom of speech."
"Without freedom of speech, I might be in the swamp"
"I think if we ban certain religions, if we censor the Internet, I think that at that point the terrorists will have won."
"Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom - freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs production [protection]."
"Some people only speak of freedom of speech while they're out of power. Once they're in power, they're ruthless in suppressing the rights of others."
"Abuses of the freedom of speech ought to be repressed, but to whom are we to commit the power of doing it?"
"After September 11th, freedom of speech in America has become a topic that's touchier than a Vatican summer camp."
"Freedom of speech does not mean that you have to agree with everything that a comedian says, but that comedian should have the freedom to be able to try to make that funny. It's the attempt that I'm trying to defend so hard, no necessarily the execution."
"Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects that interest me and there freedom of speech comes into it."
"The basis of democratic freedom is freedom of speech."
"Where there is a great deal of free speech there is always a certain amount of foolish speech."
"but I had also learned that freedom of speech means freedom from rhetoric."
"The social or economic structure of the ideal state is of little concern to me. My desires are modest. Portraits of the head of the government should not exceed a postage stamp in size. No torture and no executions. No music, except coming through earphones, or played in theaters. Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of art."
"Music is an opportunity to say every single thing that you want to say. People will pore over whatever you say and however you say it and, for me, it represents complete freedom of speech."
"Freedom of speech gives you the right to stay silent."
"In so far as it takes effect at all, pacifist propaganda can only be effective against those countries where a certain amount of freedom of speech is still permitted; in other words it is helpful to totalitarianism."
"Journalists justify their treachery in various ways according to their temperaments. The more pompous talk about freedom of speech and ‘the public’s right to know’; the least talented talk about Art; the seemliest murmur about earning a living."
