Quotes About Opinion

Democracy feeds on argument, on the discussion as to the right way forward. This is the reason why respecting the opinion of others belongs to democracy.

Freedom of discussion is in England little else than the right to write or say anything which a jury of twelve shopkeepers think it expedient should be said or written.

The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy.

The most beautiful thing in the world is freedom of speech.

Of what use is freedom of speech to those who fear to offend?

In America the majority raises formidable barriers around the liberty of opinion; within these barriers an author may write what he pleases, but woe to him if he goes beyond them.

Freedom of speech encompasses precisely the freedom to annoy, to ridicule, and to offend.

We must defend freedom of expression and if I had to chose, I prefer the excess of caricature over the excess of censure.

The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.

The oppression of any people for opinion's sake has rarely had any other effect than to fix those opinions deeper, and render them more important.

I have lost the freedom of not having an opinion.

I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.

The test of democracy is freedom of criticism.

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

Free speech is the cornerstone to every right we have.

Populists have never had a good press in Freedom's land.

Free speech is meant to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech, by definition, needs no protection.

I regard freedom of expression as the primary right without which one can not have a proper functioning democracy.

Freedom in education has many aspects. There is first of all freedom to learn or not to learn. Then there is freedom as to what to learn. And in later education there is freedom of opinion.

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

In the long, fierce struggle for freedom of opinion, the press, like the Church, counted its martyrs by thousands.

If you have freedom of speech, you have freedom of speech.

I no longer believe in freedom of speech.

the fundamental right of freedom of thought and expression is essential. If you curtail what the other fellow says and does, you curtail what you yourself may say and do.