Nat Hentoff Quotes

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

I think free speech is probably the coolest thing we have in this country, and again, you can label it hate speech and dismiss it, and then you're allowed to censor it.

Freedom of expression and freedom of speech aren't really important unless they're heard. The freedom of hearing is as important as the freedom of speaking.

I hate censorship, man. I really do.

I believe in absolute freedom of expression. Everyone has a right to offend and be offended.

Censorship of ideas or images or words is wrong.

I live in America. I have the right to write whatever I want. And it's equaled by another right just as powerful: the right not to read it. Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend people.

Advocates of 'free speech' often repeat the mantra that the best response to bad speech is more and better speech, not the suppression of the bad stuff.

Freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they express, or the words they speak or write.

[E]rroneous statement … must be protected if the freedoms of expression are to be given the breathing space that they need ... to survive.

The government may not prohibit expression simply because it disagrees with its message.

If there is a bedrock principle of the First Amendment, it is that the government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.

Prior restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and least tolerable infringement on First Amendment Rights.

Political speech is indispensable to decision-making in a democracy, and this is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation. By taking the right to speak from some and giving it to others, the Government deprives the disadvantaged person or class of the right to use speech to strive to establish worth, standing, and respect for the speaker’s voice. The Government may not by these means deprive the public of the right and privilege to determine for itself what speech and speakers are worthy of consideration. The First Amendment protects speech and speaker, and the ideas that flow from each.

In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own.... Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.

You cannot prevent me from talking. I am exercising my right to free speech.

Good men died for our right to say whatever we want to say and use whatever words we want to use.

I will try exercise my freedom of speech by avoiding legalities.

Individuals have a right to freedom of speech.

Speak, speak, speak, & remember that whenever anyone's liberty to speak is denied, your liberty is denied also, & your place is where the attack is.

Freedom of speech is a great thing and we have said nothing that is not allowed.

I'm defending free speech pretty much all over the place because you still have freedom of speech.

The civil liberties types who are fighting this issue have to fight it, owing to the nature of the laws, as a matter of freedom of speech and stifling of free expression and so on. But we know what's really involved, dirty books are fun. That's all there is to it. But you can't get up in a court and say that.

Without freedom of speech, I might be in the swamp