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
What this quote means
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.
Themes
FreedomMovementRightsLibertySociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for civil liberties.
More from William O. Douglas
All quotes βOne who comes to the Court must come to adore, not to protest. That's the new gloss on the First Amendment.
William O. DouglasRead
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.
William O. DouglasRead
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.
William O. DouglasRead
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.
William O. DouglasRead
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.
William O. DouglasRead
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Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
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