Hugo Black Quotes

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

I'm not interested in censorship. I like the First Amendment very much.

I try to do that in this book without preaching - to try to do as you just said that you really have to defend the First Amendment rights of everybody.

The right to insult members of the government is inviolable.

The right to free speech is critical to our democracy.

When I began we did not really have a lot of First Amendment law. It is really surprising to think of it this way, but a lot of the law - most of the law that relates to the First Amendment freedom of the press in America - is really within living memory.

Freedom of speech, freedom to criticize pillars of government, freedom to form parties and freedom of the press within the framework of the constitution are among the absolute rights of the public.

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

I can't emphasize how important free speech is to a liberal and free democracy.

I want to regain my First Amendment rights.

I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that affects all of our constitutional rights and privileges.

I believe in freedom of speech, but I believe we should also have the right to comment on freedom of speech.

No one respects the First Amendment more than I do. People have a right to express their concerns and their hopes and dreams to their government.

People have a right to criticize.

I'm as keen as the next person to preserve the right to free speech.

Chinese citizens have never had the right to really express their opinions; in the constitution it says you can, but in the real world it is more dangerous. In the west people think it's a right they're born with. Here it's a right given by the government, and one that's not really practised.

We had a responsibility to represent all people whose 1st Amendment rights were at risk

We [Russia] and America both have freedom of speech. The only difference is that Americans have freedom after they speak.

The right to discuss freely and openly, by speech, by the press, by the pen, all political questions, and to examine and animadvert upon all political institutions ... [is] a right as clear and certain, so interwoven with our other liberties, so necessary, in fact to their existence, that without is we must fall at once into despotism and anarchy.

We don't have the right under the 1st Amendment to act as the national program director.

Our birthright under the 1st Amendment is to foster the voices of dissent.

The Constitution does not allow the unnecessary trammeling of free expression, even for the noblest of purposes.

That the people have a right to freedom of speech, and of writing and publishing their sentiments; therefore, the freedom of the press ought not be restrained.

The Liberty of Conscience and of the Press cannot be cancelled, abridged, restrained, or modified by any authority of the United States

The rights of free speech and free press do not carry with them the right to advocate the right to advocate the destruction of the very government that protects the freedom of an individual to express his views.