H. L. Mencken Quotes

Think 'free speech,' not 'free beer.'

In America-as elsewhere-free speech is confined to the dead.

Free speech is meant to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech, by definition, needs no protection.

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?

Speech is an essential mechanism of democracy, for it is the means to hold officials accountable to the people. [...] The right of citizens to inquire, to hear, to speak, and to use information to reach consensus is a precondition to enlightened self-government and a necessary means to protect it. [...] 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.

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 love free speech.

The American people, I am convinced, really detest free speech. At the slightest alarm they are ready and eager to put it down.

Free speech not only lives, it rocks!

I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that affects all of our constitutional rights and privileges.

Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his opinion, over-reaching political correctness is chipping away at the fundamental American freedoms of speech and expression.

In America we can say what we think, and even if we can't think, we can say it anyhow.

In America the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion; within these barriers an author may write what he pleases, but woe to him if he goes beyond them.

We are the only country that allows and protects hate speech.

Freedom of speech is the great bulwark of liberty; they prosper and die together.

Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech

Take away the right to say "fuck" and you take away the right to say "fuck the government.

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.

This country is built on free speech.

We have the right to peacefully assemble in the United States.

Honestly, this country was built on freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and when you can no longer do that, then it is no longer based on that, you know.

Individuals have a right to freedom of speech.

I prefer a little free speech to no free speech at all; but how many have free speech or the chance or the mind for it; and is not free speech here as elsewhere clamped down on in ratio of its freedom and danger?

I definitely support free speech.

Homo-sexuals should not be censored, but neither should those who oppose their point of view. That's called free speech.