Floyd Abrams Quotes

I try to do that in this book without preaching - to try to do as you just said that you really have to defend the First Amendment rights of everybody.

Under the privilege of the 1st Amendment many, many ridiculous things are said.

I'm not interested in censorship. I like the First Amendment very much.

We had a responsibility to represent all people whose 1st Amendment rights were at risk

The First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is beside the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.

We have the First Amendment to rely on whenever an elected official tries to impinge on our rights to speak.

I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that affects all of our constitutional rights and privileges.

If Thomas Jefferson had heard us, he probably would have said, 'We shouldn't have free speech.'

Free speech is meant to protect unpopular speech. Popular speech, by definition, needs no protection.

If you're not going to offend somebody you don't need the First Amendment.

I'm as keen as the next person to preserve the right to free speech.

An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the 1st Amendment.

Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify suppression of free speech and assembly.

The Constitution does not allow the unnecessary trammeling of free expression, even for the noblest of purposes.

Prior restraints on speech and publication are the most serious and least tolerable infringement on First Amendment Rights.

The right to free speech is critical to our democracy.

Individuals have a right to freedom of speech.

When you start punishing and censoring comedians, that's a real bad sign of us as Americans losing our First Amendment rights. As a comedian, I'm gonna push the boundaries. Some things you're going to love, and some things you're going to hate. But this is America. Great people died for us to have this right.

The First Amendment was designed to protect offensive speech, because nobody ever tries to ban the other kind.

I would bet there is no place in the United States where the First Amendment would survive intact.

I want to regain my First Amendment rights.

The First Amendment means everything to me.

Free speech is the cornerstone to every right we have.

Criticism of government finds sanctuary in several portions of the 1st Amendment. It is part of the right of free speech. It embraces freedom of the press.

In America it's live by the sword of freedom of expression and be will to die by it as well.