Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears.
quote by Louis D. Brandeis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
On Paper. Not In Reality.
Don't be foolish.
Of course you are entitled to your opinion.
Aren't we living in a society,
That welcomes free speech?
'Yes...
But it seems to me that...'
Next! ?
'I thought you said we live in a society,
That welcomes free speech? '
On paper.
Not in reality.
I've 'earned' my free speech.
Haven't you noticed how I select my words?
Only 'then' are you free to do so as well.
Next?
I will take two more opinions,
And that will be it!
No...
Not yours.
The good looking one,
From the state of Connecticut!
May I have your opinion, please?
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Free Speech!
free speech....
as long as you comply,
as long as what you say
is profitable... for them...
as long as what you say
doesnt ruffle feathers...
as long as what you say
isnt the truth....
free speech....
in spite of, irregardless of,
because we must....
because if we dont,
it goes away!
free speech...
whatever the cost!
poem by Eric Cockrell
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Make no laws whatever concerning speech, and speech will be free; so soon as you make a declaration on paper that speech shall be free, you will have a hundred lawyers proving that "freedom does not mean abuse, nor liberty license"; and they will define and define freedom out of existence. Let the guarantee of free speech be in every man's determination to use it, and we shall have no need of paper declarations. On the other hand, so long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.
quote by Voltairine de Cleyre
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Free speech is meant to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech, by definition, needs no protection.
quote by Neal Boortz
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Down With The Thief!
Thump goes the speech, slanted at the crowd,
We profoundly undergo changes from this message.
To scrawl on the wall for benefits and facts
Perplexes the youth, let the speech be free of illness.
Empty is the talk, empty are the pockets of boys
Who steal knowledge from the brave and the old
Can be free.
Monsters pronounce the names,
Speech buries us under the ground.
For the conversation spills into speech,
And water transforms into ice
That cannot be drunk.
Thumping speeches have a message for the crowd
That thieves cannot master.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.
quote by David Mamet
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We know that dictators are quick to choose aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace. We know that oppressive governments support terror, while free governments fight the terrorists in their midst. We know that free peoples embrace progress and life, instead of becoming the recruits for murderous ideologies.
George W. Bush in Speech to UN General Assembly (2004)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Better a thousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech.
quote by Charles Bradlaugh
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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No Speech
O.k. ready to take off
Do it slow
Im living on the bottom
I got to go
Five little fingers
Grabbing at the glass
Gone, those days
Now Im running
Up and down in my cage
Too late to defend, Im buried - insane
Dont you know theres more to life than to win
Are you that kind of stereotype?
Its no time, theres no time
Theres nothing I could answer
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
But I want to get home
Let me free, this is not my home
Put away your flashing stick
Dont try to get closer-through my head
Give me a little bit more of your own
A little more, dont wanna be
Anybodys clown
Too late to defend, Im buried - insane
Dont you know theres more to life than to win
Are you that kind of stereotype ?
Its no time, theres no time
Theres nothing I could answer
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
But I want to get home
Let me free, this is not my home
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
No speech
As long (as) I get nothing
But I want to get home
Let me free, this is not my home
song performed by by Fuel
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Now is the time to draw a clean, clear, bright line and say if you are engaging in speech over the Internet you do not have to check with your lawyer or your accountant. You are a free American, and you have the opportunity to engage in free speech over the Internet.
quote by John Doolittle
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Nor was it only from the millions of slaves that chains had been removed; the whole nation had been in bondage; free speech had been suppressed.
quote by Matthew Simpson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.
quote by Herbert Hoover
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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And, I hope now that everybody understands that the Labour Party - as it always has done - stands for free speech and individual Members of the Labour Party are entitled to exercise that free speech.
quote by Ron Davies
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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For too long, many nations, including my own, tolerated, even excused, oppression in the Middle East in the name of stability. Oppression became common, but stability never arrived. We must take a different approach. We must help the reformers of the Middle East as they work for freedom, and strive to build a community of peaceful, democratic nations.
George W. Bush in Speech to UN General Assembly (21 September 2004)
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Free Speech
Free speech?
You neither have that...
Inside or near,
The boundaries...
Where you believe,
What you say and do is okay.
Especially if it effects,
The placement of my footsteps.
When your free speech,
Begins to tamper with my peace?
You may be free to protest about it...
For as long as you like.
But not in my backyard.
From here you can take a hike.
Since not a penny of tax,
Have you paid...
To cross my path or threshold,
To express your opinions...
About how it is I live my life.
With your aggressive impressions.
Is that understood?
I hope so.
You have no freedom here to do as you please.
I am not from that generation!
Unless you want to experience my freedom,
To give you a taste of my interpretation.
And when I feel threatened,
That's the only freedom here that exists.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Helen Thomas
In her time she's seen them all:
Johnson's anguish and Nixon's fall
From Camelot's dissolution
In a grieving nation's tears
Helen Thomas was a witness
to the history of my years.
She held a place of honor
Where all to her deferred:
Senior writer in the press corps
Well respected, sometimes feared.
Now she's fired and disgraced-
banned from her accustomed place.
The arbiters of elegance
took umbrage at her words
Her statement lacked “correctness”
As per the beltway herd
She's a racist and a bigot, An old and senile shrew-
They have no need of sticks and stones who know what words can do.
Once upon a better time
We had a Bill of Rights
The press was free and speech was free
We were vigilant of our rights.
But now it's just a paper
a tapir burning in the night..
These days the press conveys the lies
that government wants heard.
If any dare to disagree
They're soon kicked to the curb.
The rest will heel at master's voice
Like obedient whipped curs.
Her speech may have been hateful
Doubtless many will agree
But speech must be protected
Or else none of us is free.
Where's our Voltaire with courage rare
to defy rank tyranny?
poem by John F. McCullagh
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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While even pornography is protected as free speech, the courts have consciously undermined religious speech and freedom of religion for years.
quote by Ernest Istook
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The US constitution's First Amendment rights only cover Americans, but I believe that in a democracy the competition of ideas and free speech should combat beliefs that it does not agree with - more speech and debate, not censorship.
quote by Joichi Ito
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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If a university official's letter accusing a speaker of having a proclivity to commit speech crimes before she's given the speech - which then leads to Facebook postings demanding that Ann Coulter be hurt, a massive riot and a police-ordered cancellation of the speech - is not hate speech, then there is no such thing as hate speech.
quote by Ann Coulter
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Skilful Doctor
Function if you are enough skill,
Or work on nobody in front of you.
The words dawdle the air as you speak,
We have understood them now for you speak.
This palaver describes my speech as solid,
Liquids do run thick, liquify your body.
Overpowering speech is a collection of words
Promulgating action and acts of speech as well.
This policy has remained since the weather
Changed last week, lasting peace has remained.
We are authority, we have skills no person retains,
Both us and you are learned in doctoring.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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