Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men's minds.
Thurgood MarshallRead
Equal means getting the same thing, at the same time and in the same place.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Equality involves providing the same opportunities and resources to everyone simultaneously and equitably.
Thurgood Marshall's quote highlights the essence of equality, emphasizing that true equality is not just about offering the same treatment or resources, but ensuring that individuals receive what they need at the same time and in the same context. It stresses the importance of not just equal outcomes, but also equal opportunities and access, which is vital for fostering a just society.
Themes
EqualityJusticeOpportunityAccessEquity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for civil rights, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of equal treatment under the law.
More from Thurgood Marshall
All quotes βThe United States has been called the melting pot of the world. But it seems to me that the colored man either missed getting into the pot or he got melted down.
Thurgood MarshallRead
I cannot accept this invitation [to celebrate the bicentenial of the Constitution], for I do not believe that the meaning of the Constitution was forever 'fixed' at the Philadelphia Convention... To the contrary, the government they devised was defective from the start. [Progressive]
Thurgood MarshallRead
When in Gregg v. Georgia the Supreme Court gave its seal of approval to capital punishment, this endorsement was premised on the promise that capital punishment would be administered with fairness and justice. Instead, the promise has become a cruel and empty mockery. If not remedied, the scandalous state of our present system of capital punishment will cast a pall of shame over our society for years to come. We cannot let it continue.
Thurgood MarshallRead
If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his house, what books he may read or what films he may watch.
Thurgood MarshallRead
In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.
Thurgood MarshallRead
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