Anthony Kennedy Quotes

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

I try to do that in this book without preaching - to try to do as you just said that you really have to defend the First Amendment rights of everybody.

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

It was not by accident or coincidence that the rights to freedom in speech and press were coupled in a single guaranty with the rights of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for redress of grievances. All these, though not identical, are inseparable. They are cognate rights, and therefore are united in the first Article's assurance.

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.

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.

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

The Constitution does not allow the unnecessary trammeling of free expression, even for the noblest of purposes.

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

We have the First Amendment to rely on whenever an elected official tries to impinge on our rights to speak.

We still have a First Amendment that protects your business and free speech.

The First Amendment means everything to me.

In America it's live by the sword of freedom of expression and be will to die by it as well.

If Thomas Jefferson had heard us, he probably would have said, 'We shouldn't have free speech.'

It just seems to be a human trait to want to protect the speech of people with whom we agree. For the First Amendment, that is not good enough. So it is really important that we protect First Amendment rights of people no matter what side of the line they are on.

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

Freedom of speech, freedom to criticize pillars of government, freedom to form parties and freedom of the press within the framework of the constitution are among the absolute rights of the public.

We [Russia] and America both have freedom of speech. The only difference is that Americans have freedom after they speak.

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

Our birthright under the 1st Amendment is to foster the voices of dissent.

The rights of free speech and free press do not carry with them the right to advocate the right to advocate the destruction of the very government that protects the freedom of an individual to express his views.

For the first time in the 182 years since the founding if the Republic, the federal courts are asked to hold that the First Amendment does not mean what it says.

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.