"The law of the American Constitution allows suppression only when violence or violation of law are intended by speakers and are likely to take place imminently. But perhaps judges, and the rest of us, will be more on guard now for the rare act of expression — not the burning of a flag or the racist slang of an undergraduate — that is genuinely dangerous. I think we should be able to punish speech that urges terrorist violence to an audience some of whose members are ready to act on the urging. That is imminence enough."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Cited in:
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Freedom_for_the_Thought_That_We_Hate
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Freedom for the Thought That We Hate
22 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Freedom for the Thought That We Hate →
Related Quotes
"Today, every president is the target of criticism and mockery. It is inconceivable that even the most caustic critic …"
"Americans should scent danger when a government tries to stop a newspaper from disclosing the origins of an unpopular…"
"It took more than a century for (our) courts to begin protecting speakers and publishers from official repression in …"
"Nowadays, it is hard to imagine any revelation so intimate that it would offend the public's sense of decency."
"There will always be authorities who try to make their own lives more comfortable by suppressing critical comment."
"I am convinced that the fundamental American commitment to free speech, disturbing speech, is no longer in doubt."
"The meaning of the First Amendment has been, and will be, shaped by each American generation: by judges, political le…"
"A final argument for broad freedom of expression is its effect on the character of individuals in a society. Citizens…"
"The most surprising and provocative occasions are those when Lewis himself departs from civil libertarian free speech…"
"Ours is the most outspoken society on Earth. Americans are freer to think what we will and say what we think than any…"