The critical point is that the Constitution places the right of silence beyond the reach of government.
William O. DouglasRead
Freedom of movement is the very essence of our free society -- once the right to travel is curtailed, all other rights suffer.
Interpretation
Freedom of movement is fundamental to all other rights in a free society.
In this quote, William O. Douglas emphasizes the critical nature of the right to travel as a cornerstone of personal liberty. He suggests that when this freedom is restricted, it not only impedes individual rights but also undermines the foundational principles of a democratic society, leading to a ripple effect that threatens all other freedoms and civil liberties.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for civil liberties.
The critical point is that the Constitution places the right of silence beyond the reach of government.
One who comes to the Court must come to adore, not to protest. That's the new gloss on the First Amendment.
The great and invigorating influences in American life have been the unorthodox: the people who challenge an existing institution or way of life, or say and do things that make people think.
I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out the true from the false in theology, economics, or any other field.
Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.
The truth is that a vast restructuring of our society is needed if remedies are to become available to the average person. Without that restructuring the good will that holds society together will be slowly dissipated... It is that sense of futility which permeates the present series of protests and dissents. Where there is a persistent sense of futility, there is violence; and that is where we are today.
There is no force that can put an end to the human quest for freedom, and China will, in the end, become a nation ruled by law, where human rights reign supreme.
The secret point of money and power in America is neither the things that money can buy nor power for power's sake... but absolute personal freedom, mobility, privacy. It is the instinct which drove America to the Pacific, all through the nineteenth century, the desire to be able to find a restaurant open in case you want a sandwich, to be a free agent, live by one's own rules.
No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.
I was heartened that people everywhere want certain basic freedoms, even if they live in a totally different cultural environment.
Whatever you may think of the proposed mosque and community center, lost in the heat of the debate has been a basic question: Should government attempt to deny private citizens the right to build a house of worship on private property based on their particular religion?
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
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