Quote #28

But our society - unlike most in the world - presuppose that freedom and liberty are in frame of reference that makes the individual, not the government, the keeper of his tastes, beliefs, and ideas. That is the philosophy of the First Amendment; and it is the article of faith that sets us apart from most nations in the world

More from William O. Douglas

  1. Big Brother in the form of an increasingly powerful government and in an increasingly powerful private sector will pile the records high wi…
  2. Christianity has sufficient inner strength to survive and flourish on its own. It does not need state subsidies, nor state privileges, nor …
  3. As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly u…
  4. Common sense often makes good law.
  5. A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purposes when it induces a…
  6. It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of temperate d…
  7. One who comes to the Court must come to adore, not to protest. That's the new gloss on the First Amendment.
  8. It seemed to me that I had barely reached the Court when people were trying to get me off.

All William O. Douglas quotes