#free speech

By placing discretion in the hands of an official to grant or deny a license, such a statute creates a threat of censorship that by its very existence chills free speech. ↗

— Harry A. Blackmun

#chills #creates #deny #discretion #existence

Free speech is not to be regulated like diseased cattle and impure butter. The audience that hissed yesterday may applaud today, even for the same performance. ↗

— William O. Douglas

#applaud #audience #butter #cattle #diseased

To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker. ↗

— Frederick Douglass

#free #free speech #hearer #rights #speaker

As someone who is in awe and grateful every day to be in a country where freedom of the press, free speech and free elections are a way of life, I am wowed, amazed and excited by the opportunity to moderate a 2012 presidential debate. ↗

— Candy Crowley

#amazed #awe #country #day #debate

Free speech means the right to shout 'theatre' in a crowded fire. ↗

— Abbie Hoffman

#fire #free #free speech #means #right

My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime's strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them. ↗

— Ma Jian

#capacity #chinese #chinese government #come #contrary

Better a thousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. ↗

— Charles Bradlaugh

#better #denial #free #free speech #speech