Ideas don't desert you; ideas aren't treasonous to you, but people can be.
Our First Amendment expresses a far different calculus for regulating speech than for regulating nonexpressive conduct and that is as it should be. The right to swing your fist should end at the tip of my nose, but your right to express your ideas should not necessarily end at the lobes of my ears.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the distinction between free speech and actions, urging that ideas should be freely expressed despite potential offense to others.
Alan Dershowitz's quote reflects on the complexities surrounding the regulation of speech versus nonexpressive conduct. It highlights the fundamental principle of free speech enshrined in the First Amendment, suggesting that while one person’s actions may have limits—illustrated by the metaphor of swinging a fist—expressing ideas should enjoy broader protection, even if they may upset others. This encourages an open discourse where diverse thoughts can be shared without fear of repression, as long as they do not harm others directly.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on freedom of expression, this quote can be used to emphasize the importance of protecting diverse viewpoints.
More from Alan Dershowitz
All quotes →Ed Koch will never "rest in peace." That was not his way. He was always nervously squirming, while making others squirm as well. Comfort was not his goal. He understood that to be a proud and assertive Jew meant never being able to leave a sigh of relief and say "it's over, we are at peace, we can now put down our guard and relax."
It's never acceptable to target civilians. It violates the Geneva Accords, it violates the international law of war and it violates all principles of morality.
When I was growing up, my mother would always say, 'It will go on your permanent record.' There was no 'permanent record.' If there were a 'permanent record,' I'd never be able to be a lawyer. I was such a bum, in elementary school and high school... There is a permanent record today and it's called the Internet.
A good lawyer knows how to shut up when he's won his case.
Scientists search for truth. Philosophers search for morality. A criminal trial searches for only one result: proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Similar quotes
The whole argument with the anti-suffragists, or even the critical suffragist man, is this: that you can govern human beings without their consent.
The lie is so vile, that even if it were in speaking well of godly things, it would take off something from God's grace; and Truth is so excellent, that if it praises but small things they become noble.
Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith.
Protestants believe that the sacraments are like ladders that God gave to us by which we can climb up to Him. Catholics believe that they are like ladders that God gave to Himself by which He climbs down to us.
Your mind makes out the orange by seeing it, hearing it, touching it, smelling it, tasting it and thinking about it but without this mind, you call it, the orange would not be seen or heard or smelled or tasted or even mentally noticed, it's actually, that orange, depending on your mind to exist! Don't you see that? By itself it's a no-thing, it's really mental, it's seen only of your mind. In other words it's empty and awake.
Last year, Americans spent $450 billion on Christmas. Clean water for the whole world, including every poor person on the planet would cost about $20 billion. Let's just call that what it is: A material blasphemy of the Christmas season.