“If our free society is to endure, and I know it will, those who govern must recognize that the Framers of the Constitution limited their power in order to preserve human dignity and the air of freedom which is our proudest heritage.” IfsKnowsHumansOrderAirDignityConstitutionEndurePreservesHeritageFree SocietyHuman DignityFramers Author:William J. Brennan
“The framers knew that liberty is a fragile thing, and so should we.” ShouldLibertyFragileFramersFragile Things Author:William J. Brennan
“While the machinery of law enforcement and indeed the nature of crime itself have changed dramatically since the Fourth Amendment became part of the Nation's fundamental law in 1791, what the Framers understood then remains true today - that the task of combating crime and convicting the guilty will in every era seem of such critical and pressing concern that we may be lured by the temptations of expediency into forsaking our commitment to protecting individual liberty and privacy.” MaySeemsTodayLawIndividualNationsLibertyCrimeChangedUnderstoodCommitmentConcernTasksFundamentalsRemainsCriticalTemptationGuiltyErasPrivacyAmendmentsFourthLaw EnforcementEnforcementMachineryIndividual LibertyExpediencyFramersFourth Amendment Author:William J. Brennan
“The Framers of the Bill of Rights did not purport to 'create' rights. Rather, they designed the Bill of Rights to prohibit our Government from infringing rights and liberties presumed to be preexisting.” GovernmentFreedomLibertyRightsBillsHuman RightsCivil RightsBill Of RightsRights And FreedomsFramersFundamental Rights Author:William J. Brennan
“If our free society is to endure, those who govern must recognize human dignity and accept the enforcement of constitutional limitations on their power conceived by the Framers . . . . Such recognition will not come from a technical understanding of the organs of government, or the new forms of wealth they administer. It requires something different, something deeper-a personal confrontation with the wellsprings of our society.” IfsHumansDifferentGovernmentFormUnderstandingWealthAcceptingDignityEndureDeeperRecognitionLimitationOur SocietyOrgansEnforcementConfrontationFree SocietyHuman DignityFramersWellspring Author:William J. Brennan
