Cokie Roberts Quotes

Everybody's opinion is equally valid, and I feel like everybody should have an opportunity to speak out, and everyone should have the courage to speak out.

It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.

Brown’s core value of promoting the free and open exchange of ideas is bedrock to our capacity to fulfill our mission as a university. This value applies not only when ideas are agreeable and aligned with our own. Protecting the right to free expression and promoting open discourse is even more essential when ideas are divergent, abhorrent or even hurtful.

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.

You don't have true freedom until you allow a diversity of opinion and a diversity of voices.

I am absolutely opposed to political correctness. You cannot confront hate speech until you've experienced it. You need to hear every side of the issue instead of just one.

We will not put a lid on opinions. On the contrary, it is more important than ever that political debates are open and free, even on the most difficult issues. Especially on the most difficult issues. The task is to encourage controversial debates in a form that strengthens democracy.

It is easy to believe in freedom of speech for those with whom we agree.

I'm in the civil discourse business. I think it takes all kinds. And more power to everybody.

Whether you are Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative, we should never, never, never allow ourselves emotionally to interfere with another person's right to express themselves.

I don't think it's a good thing to have Christian states, Muslim states, or any kind of ethnic states.

Let a hundred flowers bloom.

I'm a free speech bigot. I don't like censorship; I just don't think it's a good thing.

Any open society that tolerates intolerance, sees tolerance disappear and the tolerant along with it.

The freedom allowed in the United States to all sorts of inquiry and discussion necessarily leads to a diversity of opinion, which is seen not only in their being different denominations, but different opinions also in the same denomination.

We must protect the right of our opponents to speak, because we must hear what they have to say.

We have taken the idea of tolerance so far that we have to put up with intolerance.

America is great precisely because it is an open society, and an open society recognizes that nobody is the ultimate arbiter — and that we may be wrong at times, even if we are powerful. We must be open to criticism and respect divergent and different views and interests.

It's obvious that I come down on the side of free speech for anybody's work.

America's Founders were committed to a wide-open public forum in which all voices and perspectives could have a chance of being heard.

Not all ideas will be accepted, but every idea deserves its own space, and every idea deserves to be expressed.

While the protection of speech is at the bedrock of our democracy, it's critical as a nation that we exercise our right every day - and that includes embracing and engaging with those we may not agree with.

American democracy is greater with free speech and open dialogue.

Whatever differences we have, tolerating others' opinions is a prerequisite to a functioning and free society.

I think my patriotism is strong enough to not be offended when somebody takes a knee during the anthem. That's not something I take personally.