While money is used to finance speech, money is not speech.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the distinction between financial power and the essence of free speech.
John Paul Stevens emphasizes that although money can influence and support expressions of speech, it should not be equated with the act of speaking itself. Financial resources can amplify certain voices, but true speech transcends monetary influence and should be viewed as a fundamental right that cannot be bought or sold.
In practice
During a debate on campaign finance reform, this quote could be used to illustrate concerns about the influence of money in politics.
It might be added that corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires. Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their ‘personhood’ often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of ‘We the People’ by whom and for whom our Constitution was established.
But I wound like people to think I was an honest judge and a good judge. And I always tried the reach the best result in every case.
It is not our job to apply laws that have not yet been written.
I think this country would be much better off if we did not have capital punishment.... We cannot ignore the fact that in recent years a disturbing number of inmates on death row have been exonerated.
But I really think it's a very unfortunate part of our judicial system and I would feel much, much better if more states would really consider whether they think the benefits outweigh the very serious potential injustice, because in these cases the emotions are very, very high on both sides and to have stakes as high as you do in these cases, there is a special potential for error. We cannot ignore the fact that in recent years a disturbing number of inmates on death row have been exonerated.
For over 200 years after the adoption of the Second Amendment, it was uniformly understood as not placing any limit on either federal or state authority to enact gun control legislation.
Perhaps September 11 could be called the first historic world event in the strictest sense: the impact, the explosion, the slow collapse - a gruesome reality literally took place in front of a global public.
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
When you realize the value of all life, you dwell on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.
CEMETERY, n. An isolated suburban spot where mourners match lies, poets write at a target and stone-cutters spell for a wager.
Men build society and society builds men.
I must take issue with the term 'a mere child,' for it has been my invariable experience that the company of a mere child is infinitely preferable to that of a mere adult.
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