Richard Stallman Quotes

The common notion that free speech prevails in the United States always makes me laugh.

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.

Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself.

If you care for the quality of life in our American democracy, then you have to be for censorship.

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.

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.

Individuals have a right to freedom of speech.

There is nothing more wonderful than freedom of speech.

It is called the First Amendment. ...Simple words marching in seried ranks. Compact, concise. To the point. Clear and pure. It's freedom's music.

Free speech is life itself.

I'm defending free speech pretty much all over the place because you still have freedom of speech.

Free speech exercised both individually and through a free press, is a necessity in any country where people are themselves free.

Free speech not only lives, it rocks!

Free speech is the cornerstone to every right we have.

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

We need to defend absolutely the freedom of speech.

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

After 200 years, the 1st Amendment remains only as strong, or as weak, as the citizens it is designed to protect.

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

A free People will be showing that they are so, by their Freedom of Speech

We're losing our freedom of speech. We are losing freedom of religion. We are losing freedom of the press.

I can't emphasize how important free speech is to a liberal and free democracy.