“All ideas having even the slightest redeeming social importance - unorthodox ideas, controversial ideas, even ideas hateful to the prevailing climate of opinion, have the full protection of the guarantees [of the First Amendment].” FirstsIdeasReligionIndividualSocialJusticeOpinionImportanceConstitutionClimateProtectionGuaranteesAmendmentsFirst AmendmentHatefulControversialPrevailingIndividual RightsRedeemingUnorthodox Author:William J. Brennan
“The door of the Free Exercise Clause stands tightly closed against any government regulation of religious beliefs as such. Government may neither compel affirmation of a repugnant belief, nor penalize or discriminate against individuals or groups because they hold views abhorrent to the authorities.” MayGovernmentIndividualBeliefReligiousJusticeViewsDoorsGroupsExerciseAuthorityRegulationAffirmationReligious BeliefClausesGovernment RegulationAbhorrent 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
“At bottom, the battle has been waged on moral grounds. The country has debated whether a society for which the dignity of the individual is the supreme value can, without a fundamental inconsistency, follow the practice of deliberately putting one of its members to death.” Has BeensCountryValuesIndividualMoralPracticeBattleMembersDignityFundamentalsBottomSupremeDeath PenaltyInconsistency Author:William J. Brennan
“We hold that the Constitution does not forbid the states minor intrusions into an individual's body under stringently limited conditions.” DoeStatesBodyPoliticalIndividualFreedomConditionsConstitutionMinorsIntrusion Author:William J. Brennan
“If the right to privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion.” IfsMeanIndividualMarriedPrivacyIntrusionRight To Privacy Author:William J. Brennan
