The First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights in the United States Constitution were being violated in Albany again and again - freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the equal protection of the laws - I could count at least 30 such violations. Yet the president, sworn to uphold the Constitution, and all the agencies of the United States government at his disposal, were nowhere to be seen.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Constitutional rights were violated repeatedly while authorities ignored the breaches.
- In plain terms
- Rights were broken and officials did nothing.
- What can you take from it?
- Rights protection fails when leaders ignore violations.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who protects your rights?
- What do you do when laws are ignored?
Another view
Government may have faced constraints not visible in the quote.
More from Howard Zinn
There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people for a purpose which is unattainable.
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