Speech Restriction Quotes

For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.

Terms such as 'microaggression,' describing an inadvertent act of offense, have entered the college lexicon, empowering an atmosphere of prior restraint on speech. And many colleges are also disinviting speakers in fear of offending certain elements of their student communities.

The threat or fear of violence should not become an excuse or justification for restricting freedom of speech.

The silence caused by politicizing speech is deafening.

The new Germany has the unquestionable right to hold its tongue between its teeth.

I was brought up in a household where I was not allowed to take the Lord's name in vain.

Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.

When politicians seek to restrict political speech, it is invariably to protect their own incumbency and avoid having to defend their policies in the marketplace of ideas.

The Amendment might have said, “Except in times and situations involving 'clear and present danger' to the national security, Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech.” Or it might have read, “Only when, in the judgment of the legislature, the interests of order and security render such action advisable shall Congress abridge the freedom of speech.” But the writers of the Amendment did not adopt either of these phrasings or anything like them.

I will not say anything negative about the president of the United States. I don't do that. And I don't allow my children to do that.

I'm sure even in America, where you have, like, free speech people self-censor themself. And it's not - it happens because of different reasons. Because maybe it's politically incorrect, it doesn't have to really to be put in jail.

I need to be free, to speak the unspeakable. You can't do that in office.

The freedom to think out loud on certain topics, without fear of being hounded into hiding or killed, has already been lost.

Indian democracy has long been limited by colonial-era laws that restrict speech in the name of protecting religion. Religious groups routinely exploit such statutes to limit the freedom of expression that generally characterizes public life in the world’s largest democracy.

Nobody running for political office was allowed to speak. The rules were so restrictive that unless you could get--which was impossible--both candidates for president of the United States to speak at the same time, you couldn't have either one of them.

Free speech isn't dead in Germany and Italy, merely the speakers.

It is actually unbelievable that somebody would be deprived of his livelihood for expressing an opinion that he's entitled to.

I think that some restriction on speech is appropriate.

A law imposing criminal penalties on protected speech is a stark example of speech suppression.

Gag Rule

My desire to curtail undue freedom of speech extends only to such public areas as restaurants, airports, streets, hotel lobbies, parks, and department stores. Verbal exchanges between consenting adults in private are as of little interest to me as they probably are to them.

In England, you're allowed to have an opinion - as long as it comes out of your mouth.

People ought to quit talking to the press.

Some members of Congress ought to have their mouths taped instead of their speeches.

The most repressive societies have always restricted speech the most — and when people are finally able to speak, they often call for change.