Wanda Sykes Quotes

I believe in the freedom of expression, unequivocally - though, as I have written before, I wish more people would understand that freedom of expression is not freedom from consequence.

Don’t do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of the Washington Post.

I made bad decisions. That being said - the question is, does the public care about that?

It's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions.

Practicing free speech on an open platform is a perilous path for any public figure, and there are no get-out-of-jail free passes in the court of public opinion.

If guys don't want me to write bad songs about them, they shouldn't do bad things.

One person's embarrassment is another person's accountability.

I live my life and I do what I do, and sometimes you forget that people are watching you.

Whenever you do anything public, you open yourself up to be criticized.

I try to stay in line and not be a jerk. I've always been conscious that if I really screw up, people might notice.

When the people who are responsible for our country ask you a direct question, I expect them to accept a direct answer, not to be blackballed because you are telling the truth.

People know there is a difference between what you do and what you accept. There is a difference between me knowing that people swear, me hearing people swear and me swearing, and everyone accepting that this is something you can do as much as you like.

I think back to some of the things Harry said and some of the things I said trying to be funny. If I said them now, it would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.

Keep in mind that when public figures get in trouble for something they said, it is usually not because they misspoke, but because they accidentally told the truth.

I know now that everything I write, I'm going to put out, and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life.

You lose your anonymity just like a helium balloon with a string. Therefore people are going to have their own opinion and they're going to write in whatever clever manner they desire.

I wasn't playing mind games with anybody, I just said what I said. I am responsible for it, but I wish everybody would fall asleep for that one and let me go out there and do my thing.

There's no excuse, it's just an opportunity that presented in a limited way and that happened and as soon as the press rang me I didn't deny it I just said 'that's it' and I had to go home and explain it.

A mistake that is kept secret only harms the person who has committed it, but if it becomes public and is not denounced, it harms the community

Misrepresentation of public Measures is easily overthrown, by representing public Measures truly; when they are honest, they ought to be publicly known, that they may be publicly commended, but if they are knavish or pernicious, they ought to be publicly exposed, in order to be publicly detested.

I won't criticise anyone else's statements, and the public will make up their own minds. And if the public think that any side or any individual has strayed too far away from what's expected of public representatives, then they'll make that judgement.

The idea behind 'Defending Your Life': Imagine if you had to sit in a courtroom and watch your life. I don't care who you are - if you committed a crime and you had to have all of your emails searched and made public, who on this planet could survive that? Nobody.

Anonymity breeds irresponsibility.

If I was on Twitter, I'd probably get in trouble pretty quickly.

I believe in freedom of speech. I believe people have the right to say whatever they want to say. As long as they're ready to own what they say. Because there's a price to pay when you say something that's against the grain that is not correct.