Robert Reich Quotes

I support the ability of people to be able to burn the American flag if they want to. But people have the right in this country to debate it.

Since we don't have a tyrant or a dictator, we can't put people who are burning flag in jail. But Donald Trump is telling you what he thinks of 'em. He's not gonna do anything of the sort. This is where people go off the rails with Trump, with this literal business and so fort

With Citizens United, the Supreme Court's declaration that corporations are people, the whims of one can silence the voices of millions.

Citizens United fought to defend our right to free speech - and won a great victory in the United States Supreme Court.

The idea that corporations have the same First Amendment protections of free speech as people is troubling. Corporations are not people. They don't attend our schools, get married and have children. They don't vote in our elections.

We're not against people demonstrating. We want people to exercise their 1st Amendment rights. They can do that by simply demonstrating across the street, in a way that doesn't block the door or harass women.

If a corporation can express opinions and be protected in doing so by the First Amendment, then there's no reason logically one wouldn't think they could undertake to enjoy the other rights protected under the First Amendment.

This is what democracy is all about. People have every right to protest whoever's in the White House, without fear of persecution. If this happened in Iran, people would be shot on the streets. This is the United States of America, and we have a First Amendment that protects this kind of speech.

A century and a half after its birth, the modern business corporation, an artificial person made in the image of a human psychopath, now is seeking to remake real people in its image.

People have a right to give a speech. And people have a right to protest. But I'm not a great fan of disrupting people's speeches.

Corporations are not people, despite what the Supreme Court says, and they don't need or deserve handouts.

I've always been a big supporter of the Constitutional right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition government for redress of grievances. It's just that I never envisioned it taking the form of thousands of people screaming 'you asshole!' at me.

If you're offended, what the Supreme Court has said the answer to speech you do not like is not less speech, it's more speech. There are many people in America who don't get that.

The right of the people to peacefully assemble and petition their government for a redress of grievances is now worth a pitcher of warm spit. That's because TV will not come and treat it respectfully. Television is really something.

I am a firm supporter of the First Amendment, no matter the views expressed.

Portland has a long history of embracing the most important of American values. Those are the rights to assembly and the rights to free speech. And we're proud of protecting those core American values.

It's impossible to utilize your right to free speech in the way you truly deserve and not suffer repercussions on any level.

I don't believe corporations are people.

In the end, the thing that's important about free expression is that it's the right from which all other rights are derived. If you can't articulate ideas and if you can't articulate critiques of other peoples' ideas, then you're powerless. What always increases the power of an authoritarian regime is whether it can successfully prevent people from expressing themselves.

You could say that the paparazzi and the tabloids are sort of the 'assault weapons' of the First Amendment. They're ugly, a lot of people don't like them, but they're protected by the First Amendment - just as 'assault weapons' are protected by the Second Amendment.

The First Amendment does not extend to corporations. It's a U.S. government thing. Companies can shut speech down all they want. But the thing is this is destructive. This is discriminatory. And what they're telling themselves is they're making a much more peaceful environment. "We are creating a much more conducive and productive and peaceful environment," when they're not. They're suppressing opinion. They are inflicting their own world view and demanding that it be agreed with and acceded to. And if it's not, you get fired.

Freedom of speech is central to most every other right that we hold dear in the United States and serves to strengthen the democracy of our great country. It is unfortunate, then, when actions occur that might be interpreted as contrary to this honored tenet.

Freedom of speech and of the press are essential to the enlightenment of a free people and in restraining those who wield power.

Republican Michigan Congressman Justin Amash said, no president is allowed to burn the first amendment.

Senator majority leader, Mitch McConnell, slammed [Donald] Trump's comments about burning the American flag which is protected under the first amendment should lead to jail time.