Robert C. Murphy Quotes

Under the privilege of the 1st Amendment many, many ridiculous things are said.

Criticism of government finds sanctuary in several portions of the 1st Amendment. It is part of the right of free speech. It embraces freedom of the press.

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.

The current total of countries in the world with First Amendments is one. You have guaranteed freedom of speech. Other countries don't have that.

When I began we did not really have a lot of First Amendment law. It is really surprising to think of it this way, but a lot of the law - most of the law that relates to the First Amendment freedom of the press in America - is really within living memory.

Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify suppression of free speech and assembly.

As a young constitutional lawyer, I was put to the first amendment test when I was called on to defend racists and neo-Nazis. I really had no choice. Surely now we know that none of us do. Free speech is unequivocal, unpolitical, and indivisible.

The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is beside the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.

The right to free speech is critical to our democracy.

In the U.S., free speech and the press are protected by the First Amendment. It has a clarity unmatched by modern legislators and declares that 'Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or the press.'

Enshrined in the Philippine constitution, which is similar to the United States, is the bill of rights: freedom of expression, freedom of the press. These are enshrined. And yet, freedom of the press has been curtailed.

The First Amendment, I think, is the jewel of our Constitution.

I would bet there is no place in the United States where the First Amendment would survive intact.

Free speech is the cornerstone to every right we have.

I'm not interested in censorship. I like the First Amendment very much.

I believe that freedom of speech and freedom of religion go hand-in-hand in America.

We had a responsibility to represent all people whose 1st Amendment rights were at risk

An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the 1st Amendment.

Implicit in the history of the 1st Amendment is the rejection of obscenity as utterly without redeeming social importance.

We don't have the right under the 1st Amendment to act as the national program director.

I believe that the defendants had as much right to publish as the Government has to publish the Constitution.

Free speech, free press, free religion, the right of free assembly, yes, the right of petition—well, they are still radical ideas.

The principle of free speech [is] no new doctrine born of the Constitution of the United States. [It is] a heritage of English-speaking peoples, which has been won by incalculable sacrifice, and which they must preserve so long as they hope to live as free men.

No man, who is depending purely upon the words of the Constitution, will ever say that we have unabridged freedom of speech and press so long as there is any law which prescribes a penalty for the utterance of anyone's sentiments …

That the people have a right to freedom of speech, and of writing and publishing their sentiments; therefore, the freedom of the press ought not be restrained.