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A constitution, as important as it is, will mean nothing unless the people are yearning for liberty and freedom.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
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Interpretation

What this quote means

A constitution has little value without the people's desire for liberty.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg emphasizes that a constitution, while vital for governance and rights, is rendered ineffective if the populace does not actively seek and prioritize their own liberty and freedom. This highlights the essential role of public will in upholding democratic values and ensuring that the principles enshrined in laws and constitutions are meaningful and impactful in society.

Themes

ConstitutionLibertyFreedomPublic WillDemocracy

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a discussion about the importance of civic engagement in democracy.

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I try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, color of their skin, whether they're men or women.
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My resume showed membership on both the Harvard and Columbia Law Reviews, a credit impressive abroad where it was not generally known that Law Reviews were student-operated publications.
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I certainly respect the belief of the Hobby Lobby owners. On the other hand, they have no constitutional right to foist that belief on the hundreds and hundreds of women who work for them who don't share that belief.
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Quote by Ruth Bader Ginsburg | QuoteProject