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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Oh! ...Those First Amendment Rights
The advocates of free speech!
And, oh! ...those first amendment rights they seek.
With a doing to smear beliefs of others.
Don't you just love the way they use the media to do this?
To express the freedoms to address their druthers,
And at the expense of ruining lives.
So refreshing isn't it?
To know someone can dispense their wickedness.
And use the 'LAW' to get away with it.
To invite a manifesting of worldwide animosity,
Should be a goal and a priority...
Everyone self-righteous should want to achieve.
Free speech speakers on their soapboxes 'miked'...
Feel an entitlement to do what they please and like,
To destroy and destruct over the airwaves or in movies...
Day and night to incite humanity and collect abundantly,
From unknown donors with an inflicting of this mental disease.
But any amendment by law that encourages a dminishing,
Such reconsider what rights people use freely...
To purposely abuse the dignities of others,
With a doing it to whomever and wherever they please.
poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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It just seems to be a human trait to want to protect the speech of people with whom we agree. For the First Amendment, that is not good enough. So it is really important that we protect First Amendment rights of people no matter what side of the line they are on.
quote by Floyd Abrams
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We know no document is perfect, but when we amend the Constitution, it would be to expand rights, not to take away rights from decent, loyal Americans. This great Constitution of ours should never be used to make a group of Americans permanent second-class citizens.
quote by Barbara Boxer
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We all have the right of freedom of speech under the First Amendment. We all don't have to agree with one another on our opinions. Everyone in my circle, that I run around with, we all feel the same about God, country, integrity and character.
quote by Luke Scott
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This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. … We are confronted primarily with a moral issue. It is as old as the scriptures and is as clear as the American Constitution. The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated.
quote by John F. Kennedy
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Scot-free
No body should go scot-free
This is democracy.
Law will take its own course
This is democracy.
Freedom of speech and expression
Is for all in this democracy.
Freedom of movement for all
In this democracy.
All these are in theory
In practice
Please do not ask anybody.
poem by Gajanan Mishra
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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
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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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Condy, hold this back. George.
My Fellow Americans:
as loyal Americans,
we are committed to the spread of the freedoms
of democracy throughout the world
regardless of the cost,
to fight
so that peace may prevail
like oil on troubled waters. However
the forces of evil are insidious and
in order to resist them we must
be vigilant to root out the pernicious
forces of evil that are attacking
the very roots of
our own democracy. In 2005
I gave consent to wire-tap all
internal communications for
our own safety and the preservation of
our Am’r’c’nw’yl’fe and to limit
the right of free speech in order to
preserve the right to free speech
throughout the world.
But M’f’l’’w’m’r’c’ns - the
forc’v’l are unrelenting in their
campaign. I must therefore
ask you as true M’r’c’ns
to be vigilant to preserve our
w’life – watch those who claim
to be your neighbours – do not
hesitate to inform the r’l’v’t authorities
of any suspicions you may have. Even hearsay
will be recorded for future reference. Do not
fear for any loss of community spirit,
our Investigation Units only operate
in unmarked thought-conditioned vans
during hours of darkness. And to aid
your work for democracy I have
inaugurated, as your Commander In Chief
a Young Vigilantes Brigade of our
War for Peace Volunteers compulsorily enrolled
in each district.
My F’l’w’m’r’c’ns,
the price of peace is eternal vigilance
in order to bring peacenfreedom
to the world we must move forward and
abandon outmoded woolly liberal
concepts such as ‘peace’
and ‘freedom’ I am sure that
with your help, we shall win this
War for Peace G’dni’f’l’w’m’r’c’ns
and God bless America Who
Stands Alone for
Peace’nfr’d’m’nd’m’cr’cy
poem by Michael Shepherd
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Rights And Wrongs
The edge of a right is again in command,
Open the doors to wounds and deliver the praise.
The country sells prices high, the region of birth
For many of the land of the people.
The actions and acts resolve as speech,
Common speech has raised the audience,
But royal speech will speak fully like the military.
Ideas drive me to command the loyal, dignified,
The backs of a jar damage the held law
As it splits not showing the description on its front,
This image of beauty so broken by now.
Rights are right, and wrongs are levels of stupor,
Yokes of the egg shall mix and create the omelette of taste.
poem by Naveed Akram
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I begin to feel like most Americans don't understand the First Amendment, don't understand the idea of freedom of speech, and don't understand that it's the responsibility of the citizen to speak out.
quote by Roger Ebert
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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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
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So the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is out there preserving and fighting for, and sometimes winning and sometimes losing, the fight for First Amendment rights in comics and, more generally, for freedom of speech.
quote by Neil Gaiman
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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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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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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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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Both free speech rights and property rights belong legally to individuals, but their real function is social, to benefit vast numbers of people who do not themselves exercise these rights.
quote by Thomas Sowell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The First Amendment does not guarantee the press a constitutional right of special access to information not available to the general public, nor does it cloak the inmate with special rights of freedom of speech.
quote by Pete Wilson
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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
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Privileges
Guaranteed Rights
Section Five
Affirmative Action Amendment
Specific Provision
Enforcement
Privileges to recognize
First Amendment rights
Freedom of Association
Freedom of Movement
Freedom of the Right to Privacy
Economic Rights
Judicial Enforcement
Eighth Amendment
Protection and Dignity
Of Human Person Outlaw Torture
Inherent Respect for Humanity
Fifth Amendment Provision
Goodwill!
Liberty, Justice and for All!
poem by Daphne Mia Bell
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