1st Amendment

Victor Davis Hanson, Farmer, Classicist and Military Historian:

"Our institutions, if they do not erode entirely, can survive periods of decadence brought on by our material success, eras when the whole notion of civic militarism seems bothersome, and in which free speech is used to focus on our own imperfections without concern for the ghastly nature of our enemies."

Representative Barney Frank (D — Massachusetts):

"Take free speech: most of the tough cases on free speech involve very unpleasant people saying very obnoxious things."

Kevin J. Hasson, President of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty:

"The Framers of the [First] amendment never intended to hobble religion, only to avoid the establishment of a particular religion. A few days after writing his famous letter on the Wall of Separation, Thomas Jefferson attended Sunday church services in the House of Representatives."

Stuart Biegel, Professor at the University of California at Los Angeles:

"In times of war, there has been a willingness among Americans to give up some rights — to honor curfews, martial law and even restrictions on speech… the filtering of Internet message boards is all a part of this."

Stephen Killeen, President of Terra Lycos, Provider of Online Message Boards:

"The sentiment in the United States changed on September 11 about what’s acceptable and what’s not in terms of what you can say… [In the past] we would err on the side of ‘If it’s distasteful, let it stay,’ Now we err on the side of ‘If you want to post this kind of information you don’t have to do it here.’"

James Bopp, Minnesota GOP counsel on Republican Party of Minnesota v. Kelly:

[The case] "goes to the very core of the First Amendment: the right of the people to associate with, to listen to, and to speak with candidates for elective judicial office.’"

President of the United States, George W. Bush:

"The press in America has never been stronger and never been freer and never been more vibrant, sometimes to my chagrin, and a lot of times to my delight."
"I’ve been trying to tame our press corps ever since I got into politics, and I’ve failed miserably. They get to express their opinions sometimes in the form of news."

U.S. Federal District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel on the French barring the sale of Nazi memorabilia on Yahoo!:

"Although France has the sovereign right to regulate what speech is permissible in France, this court may not enforce a foreign order that violates the protections of the United States Constitution by chilling protected speech that occurs simultaneously within our borders."

Patriotic Street Artist Mike McNeilly:

"There is always someone trying to control art… They want final say over not only the content, but the message and the medium too, if you know what I mean. I say the government has no business being involoved in art, and I am lucky enough to have the means to fight them."

Jailed Writer Vanessa Legget:

"But for the near future at least, maintaining my journalistic freedom will mean sacrificing my personal liberty."

Thomas Jefferson:

"Freedom of speech cannot be limited without being lost."

"The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government and to protect its free expression should be our first object."

"One of the amendments to the Constitution... expressly declares that 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,' thereby guarding in the same sentence and under the same words, the freedom of religion, of speech, and of the press; insomuch that whatever violates either throws down the sanctuary which covers the others."

"The right to hold one's own views, and to think and to decide for oneself on any question, is an essential right for a free people. A person is free to believe anything he wishes, even if in error, and may not be persecuted nor denied the right to hold public office for those beliefs. The First Amendment protections for freedom of religion, of speech, of the press and of assembly, all together protect the Freedom of Conscience."

Benjamin Franklin:

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."

James Madison:

"The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable."

John Milton, English Poet, Writer:

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

George Washington:

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

Hansell B. Duckett, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court:

"What this country needs is more free speech worth listening to."

Hugo L. Black, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court:

"Criticism of government finds sanctuary in several portions of the 1^st Amendment. It is part of the right of free speech. It embraces freedom of the press."

Dissenting opinion in a ruling that forced a person summoned before a congressional committee to answer the question, "Are you a member of the Communist Party?" 1961

Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice, US Supreme Court:

"Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen."

Majority opinion in ruling forbidding the closing of courtrooms to the press. 1980

William O. Douglas, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court:

"Free speech is not to be regulated like diseased cattle and impure butter. The audience�that hissed yesterday may applaud today, even for the same performance."

Dissenting opinion in ruling that banned sale of obscene books. 1957

"Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us."

Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice, US Supreme Court:

"The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is besides the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech."

Mark Twain, Author:

"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."

Eugene Debs, US Labor Organizer:

"I realize that there are certain limitations placed upon the right of free speech. I may not be able to say all I think, but I am not going to say anything I do not think."

Bergan Evans, Author:

"Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without doubt."

Barbara Ehrenreich, Author:

"We who officially value freedom of speech above life itself seem to have nothing to talk about but the weather."

Floyd Patteson, US Boxer:

"It's not so bad for politicians and Pulitzer Prize poets and certain intellectuals in this country to sign petitions and speak out against the war in Vietnam, but when Cassius Clay did it he paid a heavy price for freedom of speech."

On Muhammad Ali being stripped of the World Heavyweight crown. 1966

Abbie Hoffman, Political Activist:

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

Colin Powell, Secretary of State:

"Free speech is intended to protect the controversial and even outrageous word, and not just comforting platitudes too mundane to need protection."

David Mamet, Playwright, Director:

"Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself."

Katharine Graham:

"The First Amendment gets strengthened by exercise."