Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Comment on this quote Share via Email Print this Page [81-100] of 245 Censorship quotesCensorship QuotesCensorship Previous 20 quotes Next 20 quotes The idea of neutrality in the speech context not only requires that the state refrain from choosing among viewpoints, but also that it not structure public debate in such a way as to favor one viewpoint over another. The state must act as a high-minded parliamentarian, making certain that all viewpoints are fully and fairly heard.~ Owen Fiss Censorship in any form, represents a lack of trust in the judgment of the individual. The passage of time provides the best perspective for sorting the wheat from the chaff.~ Bruce E. Fleury If the human body's obscene, complain to the manufacturer, not me.~ Larry Flynt We are willing enough to praise freedom when she is safely tucked away in the past and cannot be a nuisance. In the present, amidst dangers whose outcome we cannot foresee, we get nervous about her, and admit censorship.~ E. M. Forster Every attempt to gag the free expression of thought is an unsocial act against society. That is why judges and juries who try to enforce such laws make themselves ridiculous.~ Jay Fox To vest a few fallible men -- prosecutors, judges, jurors -- with vast powers of literary or artistic censorship, to convert them into what J.S. Mill called the "moral police" is to make them despotic arbiters of literary products... If one day they ban mediocre books as obscene, another day they may do otherwise to a work of a genius. Originality, not too plentiful, should be cherished, not stifled. An author's imagination may be cramped if he must write with an eye on prosecutors or juries…~ Jerome D. Frank To vest a few fallible men – prosecutors, judges, jurors – with vast powers of literary or artistic censorship, to convert them into what J. S. Mill has called the “Moral Police,” it is to make them despotic arbiters of literary products.~ Jerome D. Frank Describing an action or an event as the "consequence" of speech presupposes that there is some causal connection between them. A central issue in any debate about the limits of free speech is the nature and the imminence of the causal connection between speech and its alleged consequences…. In actual social situations it is impossible to isolate factors and determine their contribution to effects. Such control is extremely complicated even in a scientific laboratory.~ Ruth Gavison A truly great library contains something in it to offend everyone.~ Jo Godwin The First Amendment was designed to protect offensive speech, because nobody ever tries to ban the other kind.~ Mike Godwin Not every item of news should be published. Rather must those who control news policies endeavor to make every item of news serve a certain purpose.~ Joseph Paul Goebbels During a war, news should be given out for instruction rather than information.~ Joseph Paul Goebbels It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion.~ Joseph Paul Goebbels To subject an artist’s work to a litmus test of political probity – and to punish institutions that will not carry out the mandate of the state – is to traffic in the thought control that gave us Stalinism and Nazism…~ Richard Goldstein When there is official censorship it is a sign that speech is serious. Where there is none, it is pretty certain that the official spokesmen have all the loud-speakers.~ Paul Goodman Books won’t stay banned. They won’t burn. Ideas won’t go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas. The source of better ideas is wisdom.~ A. Whitney Griswold In the history of censorship, the oldest and most frequently recurring controls have been those designed to prevent unorthodox and unpopular expressions of political or religions opinions.~ Ann Lyon Haight If a single writer in a country is in chains, then there are some links of that chain that binds us all.~ Vaclav Havel We hold that no person or set of persons can properly establish a standard of expression for others.~ William Randolph Hearst This is, in theory, still a free country, but our politically correct, censorious times are such that many of us tremble to give vent to perfectly acceptable views for fear of condemnation. Freedom of speech is thereby imperiled, big questions go undebated, and great lies become accepted, unequivocally as great truths.~ Simon Heffer Previous 20 quotes Next 20 quotes Share on Facebook Tweet Email Print