Our whole constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men's minds.
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]
Interpretation
What this quote means
Thurgood Marshall emphasizes that the Constitution is not a static document and requires continual adaptation to address societal changes.
In this quote, Thurgood Marshall argues against the notion that the Constitution's meaning was permanently set during its drafting at the Philadelphia Convention. He highlights the idea that the Constitution was inherently flawed and must evolve to meet the needs of a changing society, reflecting the belief that legal interpretations must be progressive to effectively address contemporary issues.
Themes
ConstitutionProgressAdaptationSocietyLaw
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on constitutional law, this quote can illustrate the importance of evolving interpretations of legal texts.
More from Thurgood Marshall
All quotes →The 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
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
I have a lifetime appointment and I intend to serve it. I expect to die at 110, shot by a jealous husband.
Thurgood MarshallRead
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