Timothy Garton Ash Quotes

Shouting down and intimidating someone from speaking their mind is not exactly a Vermont town meeting value, nor should it be an American town meeting value.

Everybody has a right to like or dislike anything or anyone. From a flower to a flavor to a book or a composition but it is very sad that in our country we actually fight over such things in an unseemly manner.

In nations where the voices of intolerance are most visible and momentarily powerful, it is in our long run interests to remain firm in our clear articulation that the use of violence in response to speech is to be condemned.

Our civilization is becoming less civil. You don’t have the right to demonize somebody just because they disagree with you.

The reformists do not believe in inflicting their point of view on anyone, not even on the orthodox Bohras. They accept the right of the orthodox also to believe and practise what they want. Similarly, they do not want others to inflict their viewpoint on them or coerce them to accept their authority on pain of social boycott.

There is no right in the world not to be offended. That right simply doesn’t exist. In a free society, an open society, people have strong opinions, and these opinions very often clash. In a democracy, we have to learn to deal with this.

It is important in a democracy to respect contrary opinion without impugning the motives or maligning the character of ones opponents. To view it any other way is to encourage the same type of sickness in public life that leads to assassinations.

Democracy depends on the idea that we hold each others’ right to express ourselves and be heard above our own desire to always get the outcomes we want. You can’t impose tolerance top-down.

The best thing we can do when we want to elevate civil dialogue in our American political discourse is to do whatever we can to make sure we treat others kindly with dignity and respect, and that's what I intend to do.

It's not OK to condone violence because of free speech.

We live in a society where you may not like everything that is happening around you. However, just because you don't like it doesn't mean it is wrong. Similarly, just because you dislike something, you don't have to keep talking about it or instigating people against it.

Try and understand--there are views other than yours.

I get very very concerned when I hear people start characterizing their opponents as stupid. I still understand that because politics is a little rough and tumble at times, but I don’t buy it and when they start calling each other either crazy or evil. You and I, we don’t compromise with crazy people or evil people. And so, I don’t think that’s helpful. Generally speaking, just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t make them crazy or evil.

I feel it is my duty to take every single opportunity I get to advocate for peace, no matter the circumstances of those meetings.

We call upon all warring parties in the world to lay down their arms and pursue the path of peace, dialogue, and inclusive resolution of disputes.

Of what good would another lecture on peace be? Peace is not something to lecture about, but something to put into practice.

We need to respect free speech, but we need to respect one another's rights to free speech, too.

My hope is to create spaces where people of all stripes can come together and speak at a lower decibel level. We make more sense that way. We sound more like our real selves that way.

I have disagreements with some and more agreements with others. But that doesn't mean I cannot listen to those I disagree with.

I'm an Obama supporter, no question. But it doesn't mean there's nothing to learn from the other side.

One thing that education can do is it can provide us with an opportunity to understand one another better, and so while I've spent a lot of my time in the world of politics, I've always felt that it is really not politics that will solve this for us.

I can try to convince somebody else of my beliefs, but I should not be imposing.

Everybody is entitled to an honest opinion.

Elected officials need to stop with the name calling and hateful statements.

You can disagree without being disagreeable. That's always been my mantra.