The critical point is that the Constitution places the right of silence beyond the reach of government.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Society needs significant changes for remedies to reach everyone; without these changes, goodwill will fade and lead to violence.
William O. Douglas highlights the necessity for profound societal changes to ensure that solutions and resources are accessible to the general population. He points out that when people feel a sense of futility and lack of viable options, this discontent can manifest as protest and violence, reflecting a deeper societal issue that must be addressed to foster harmony and goodwill.
Themes
SocietyChangeFutilityViolenceProtestsGoodwill
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech discussing social reform and the need for change in community policies.
More from William O. Douglas
All quotes →One 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 day should come when all of the forms of life... will stand before the court - the pileated woodpecker as well as the coyote and bear, the lemmings as well as the trout in the streams.
William O. DouglasRead
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