Antonin Scalia Quotes

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.

To me, I was right from the beginning, because it's my right as an American to speak up and question our president, have my point of view, have my opinion, question what I want to question, and say what I want to say about our government.

The most beautiful thing in the world is freedom of speech.

Free and open communications is the best guarantee of democracy.

If you have an open society that what happens—people say things and they criticize you.

Free speech has remained a quintessential American ideal, even as our society has moved from the ink quill to the touch screen.

The right to free speech is critical to our democracy.

The foundation of our democracy is the ability to have a debate about any subject. That is why I am so committed to defending free speech.

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.

While people can differ on the issues, no one should seek to discourage freedom of speech.

If I have a thought, I say it. If I keep it down, it's because I'm waiting for a good moment for me to say my piece. That's a luxury we have in our society, but parts of the world still don't have it.

It's OK to say whatever you want. It's a free country. And it's also OK for the rest of us to say 'We don't like what you're saying.' That's actually our job as members of Congress.

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.

In England, you're allowed to have an opinion - as long as it comes out of your mouth.

Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.

We live in a democracy. We have this extraordinary opportunity to use our mind and say what we think, speak as we think. Sometimes what we say is objectionable to other people. But that is part of a free society.

I always say the strength of democracy lies in criticism. If there is no criticism, that means there is no democracy. And if you want to grow, you must invite criticism. And I want to grow; I want to invite criticism.

We need to defend absolutely the freedom of speech.

There is no reason for the government to limit political speech.

People have a right to criticize.

My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime's strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them.

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.

In America we don’t apologize for opinions, that’s why we have a 1st Amendment. If we can’t discuss even controversial opinions in the pages of our newspapers, where are we going to do it?

If you can exchange information freely, isn’t that almost a definition of democracy.