Freedom Of Speech Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old freedom of speech quotes, freedom of speech sayings, and freedom of speech proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. George Washington
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Voltaire
People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid. Soren Kierkegaard
A people which is able to say everything becomes able to do everything. Napoleon I
Take away freedom of speech, and the creative faculties dry up. George Orwell
It is easy to believe in freedom of speech for those with whom we agree. Leo Mckern
Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend people. Brad Thor
Freedom of speech is useless without freedom of thought. Spiro Agnew
Freedom of speech is a guiding rule, one of the foundations of democracy, but at the same time, freedom does not imply anarchy, and the right to exercise free expression does not include the right to do unjustified harm to others. Raphael Cohen-Almagor
We should not have either a blunt knife or a freedom of speech which is ill-managed. Epictetus
Freedom of speech gives you the right to stay silent. Neil Gaiman
At no time is freedom of speech more precious than when a man hits his thumb with a hammer. Marshall Lumsden
We who officially value freedom of speech above life itself seem to have nothing to talk about but the weather. Barbara Ehrenreich
To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker. Frederick Douglass
Freedom of speech doesn't protect speech you like; it protects speech you don't like. Larry Flynt
Most people do not really want others to have freedom of speech, they just want others to be given the freedom to say want they want to hear. David Joseph Cribbin
Don't exercise your freedom of speech until you have exercised your freedom of thought. Tim Fargo
Freedom of speech means setting words free. Imprisoned and freed words are consequential. All words have consequences. John R Dallas Jr
Free speech carries with it some freedom to listen. Warren Earl Burger
Free speech not only lives, it rocks! Oprah Winfrey
Freedom of speech means that you shall not do something to people either for the views they have, or the views they express, or the words they speak or write. Hugo L. Black
Free speech is life itself. Salman Rushdie
Without free speech no search for truth is possible... no discovery of truth is useful... Better a thousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. The abuse dies in a day, but the denial slays the life of the people, and entombs the hope of the race. Charles Bradlaugh
I believe in freedom of speech, but I believe we should also have the right to comment on freedom of speech. Stockwell Day
Freedom of speech is not simply a freedom to think and say what you wish, but to speak for yourself, to speak from the heart, and to be accountable for your words. Ian Mccallum
Where there is a great deal of free speech there is always a certain amount of foolish speech. Sir Winston Churchill
Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from judgement. Jackson Pearce
Without freedom of speech there is no modern world, just a barbaric one. Ai Weiwei
If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. George Orwell
I'm for the freedom of expression, given that it will be under strict control. Alan Bennett
Without freedom of speech, I might be in the swamp. Bob Dylan
Freedom Of Speech Can Be Just As Deadly As The Right To Bear Arms. Ayjee Grogan
The right to free speech and the unrealistic expectation to never be offended can not coexist. Philip Sharp
Free speech is not to be regulated like diseased cattle and impure butter. The audience...that hissed yesterday may applaud today even for the same performance. William O. Douglas
Some people's idea of [free speech] is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage. Winston Churchill
Better a thousandfold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech. Charles Bradlaugh
Freedom of speech means freedom for those who you despise, and freedom to express the most despicable views. It also means that the government cannot pick and choose which expressions to authorize and which to prevent. Alan Dershowitz
WE SHOULD SILENCE ANYONE WHO OPPOSES THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Boyle Roche
We have to uphold a free press and freedom of speech -- because, in the end, lies and misinformation are no match for the truth. Barack Obama
We don't need to control' free speech, we need to control ourselves Peggy Noonan
Ignorant free speech often works against the speaker. That is one of several reasons why it must be given rein instead of suppressed. Anna Quindlen
We must bring ourselves to realize that it is necessary to support free speech for the things we hate in order to ensure it for the things in which we believe with all our heart. Heywood Broun
Freedom of speech is the great bulwark of liberty; they prosper and die together: And it is the terror of traitors and oppressors, and a barrier against them. It produces excellent writers, and encourages men of fine genius. Benjamin Franklin
There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech. Free speech encourages debate whereas hate speech incites violence. Newton Lee
Free speech is the cornerstone to every right we have. Mark Thomas
Free speech includes the right to not speak. Jimmy Wales
Free speech gives us the ability to react vigorously with effective arguments and expose the weakness and misdirection of the other side's claims. Rush Limbaugh
It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing. Herodotus
Being offended by freedom of speech should never be regarded as a justification for violence. Alan Dershowitz
We have freedom of speech, but you got to watch what you say. Tracy Morgan
Freedom of press and freedom of speech: What a blessing for a country while in the hands of honest, patriotic men; what a curse if in the hands of designing demagogues. William J.H. Boetcker
Without free speech no search for truth is possible; without free speech, progress is checked and the nations no longer march forward toward the nobler life which the future holds for a man. Charles Bradlaugh
What's the very first step taken by every dictatorship since history has been recorded? The prohibition of free speech, the curbing, and elimination of a free press. Malcolm Forbes
Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech; which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer and the only bounds it ought to know. Benjamin Franklin
In our country, we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either. Mark Twain
Without general elections, without freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, without the free battle of opinions, life in every public institution wither away, becomes a caricature of itself, and bureaucracy rises as the only deciding factor. Rosa Luxemburg
I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech. Nancie J. Carmody
The political core of any movement for freedom in the society has to have the political imperative to protect free speech. Bell Hooks
We know what works: freedom works. We know what's right: freedom's right. We know how to secure a more and just and prosperous life for man on earth: through free markets, free speech, free elections, and the exercise of free will unhampered by the state. George Bush
If we do not believe in freedom of speech for those we despise, we do not believe in it at all. Noam Chomsky
In so far as it takes effect at all, pacifist propaganda can only be effective against those countries where a certain amount of freedom of speech is still permitted. George Orwell
Free speech is like garlic. If you are perfectly sure of yourself, you enjoy it and your friends tolerate it. Lynn White Jr
The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. Oliver Wendell Holmes
Freedom of speech and freedom of action are meaningless without freedom to think. And there is no freedom of thought without a doubt. Bergen Evans
Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify the oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears. Louis D. Brandeis
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. Douglas
There is, therefore, no-obligation, in defending or asserting the right to speak, to pass any comment on the truth or merit of what may be, or is being said. Hitchens
Civil society means that free expression trumps the emotions of anyone to whom free expression might be inconvenient. Hitchens
Freedom of speech and thought matter, especially when it is speech and thought with which we disagree. The moment the majority decides to destroy people for engaging in thought it dislikes thought crime becomes a reality. Ben Shapiro
Freedom of speech is a human right and the foundation upon which democracy is built. Any restriction of freedom of speech is a restriction upon democracy. Dheeya Khan
We have the freedom of speech. We are able to hold hands in protest and stand up for what we believe in and have people hear what we have to say. Randy Orton
Freedom of speech is freedom above all for those whose views you dislike most. Peter Hitchens
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. S.G. Tallentyre
Freedom of speech does not protect you from the consequences of saying stupid shit. Jim C. Hines
Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech. Benjamin Franklin
What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. Salman Rushdie
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine. If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists. Don't let a loud few determine the nature of the sound. It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song. Vera Nazarian
This is slavery, not to speak one's thoughts. Euripides
If you're not going to use your free speech to criticize your own government, then what the hell is the point of having it? Michel Templet