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Constitution Quotes

“If our constitution had followed the style of Saint Paul, the First Amendment might have concluded: "But the greatest of these is speech." In the darkness of tyranny, this is the key to the sunlight. If it is granted, all doors open. If it is withheld, none.”

Ifs Firsts Might Darkness Doors Style Keys Speech Constitution Saint Tyranny Granted Amendments Sunlight First Amendment Saint Paul

Book:Rights for Americans: the speeches of Robert F. Kennedy

Source: Rights for Americans: the speeches of Robert F. Kennedy

“The First Amendment, I think, is the jewel of our Constitution.”

Thinking Firsts Constitution Amendments Jewels First Amendment

Author:Samuel Alito

“The First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment rights in the United States Constitution were being violated in Albany again and again - freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, the equal protection of the laws - I could count at least 30 such violations. Yet the president, sworn to uphold the Constitution, and all the agencies of the United States government at his disposal, were nowhere to be seen.”

“Despite the apparent absoluteness of the First Amendment, there are any number of ways of getting around it, ways that are known to any student of law. In general, the strategy is to manipulate the distinction between speech and action which is at bottom a distinction between inconsequential and consequential behavior.”

Way Firsts Action Law Numbers Known Students Speech Behavior Constitution Strategy Bottom Despite Distinction Amendments Manipulate First Amendment Inconsequential

Author:Stanley Fish

“Pat Buchanan... was fired by MSNBC for doing nothing more than voicing his rock-solid conservative thoughts on the otherwise failing network... The real message of the left is intolerance, zealotry, bigotry and hate. The left has no use for the First Amendment or the rest of the Constitution unless it fits their multicultural, euro-socialist agenda, which is failing all across Europe and everywhere it is practiced.”

Firsts Real Use Hate Left Failing Rocks Fit Messages Europe Constitution Conservative Agendas Bigotry Amendments Intolerance Socialist Doing Nothing First Amendment Euro Multicultural Zealotry

Author:Ted Nugent

“But the United States is neither a Christian nation nor the exclusive home of any particular religious group. Non-Christians are not guests. We are as much hosts as any Mayflower-descendant Protestant. It is our home as well as theirs. And in a home with so many owners, there can be no official sectarian prayer. That is what the First Amendment is all about, and the first act by the new administration was in defiance of our Constitution.”

“I would not look with favor upon a President working to subvert the First Amendment's guarantees of religious liberty ... Neither do I look with favor upon those who would work to subvert Article VI of the Constitution by requiring a religious test - even by indirection.”

Firsts Looks President Religious Liberty Atheism Tests Constitution Positive Atheism Favors Guarantees Articles Amendments First Amendment Religious Liberty

Author:John F. Kennedy

“In the First Amendment to the Constitution, the Founders made it clear that this was not to be a sky-god nation with a national religion like that of England, from whom we had just separated. It is curious how little understood this amendment is-yes, everyone has a right to worship any god he chooses but he does not have the right to impose his beliefs on others who do not happen to share in his superstitions and taboos.”

Firsts Littles Doe Made Happens Religion Belief Nations Clear Sky Share Worship Understood Constitution England Curious Made It Amendments Superstitions Founders First Amendment Taboo

Author:Gore Vidal

“There is no separation of church and state. Modern US Supreme Courts have raped the Constitution and raped the Christian faith and raped the churches by misinterpreting what the Founders had in mind in the First Amendment to the Constitution.”

“I must acknowledge God. It says so in the Constitution of Alabama. It says so in the First Amendment of the Constitution.”

Firsts Constitution Scary Acknowledge Amendments First Amendment Alabama

Author:Roy Moore

“Lately the First Amendment has been interpreted to deny equal protection of the law to those who believe in God. The Constitution established freedom for religion, not freedom from religion!”

Firsts Believe Has Beens Christian Law Religious Equal Constitution Deny Protection Believe In God Amendments First Amendment Freedom Of Religion Equal Protection

Author:Jack Kemp

“Since the writing of our Constitution, our religious liberties have been systematically threatened and whittled away by Supreme Court justices who interpret the First Amendment as a prohibition against religious activity on public property.”

Source: A Nation Without a Conscience

“No one understands that the First Amendment is only important if you are going to offend somebody. If you're not going to offend somebody, you don't need protection of the First Amendment.”

Ifs Needs Firsts Important Reality History Constitution Protection Amendments Free Speech First Amendment Disobedience Civil Disobedience

Author:Larry Flynt

“For an American to be patriotic is to be loyal to the principles of our Constitution, and the First Amendment. The truth is that the policies of the government is sometimes in conflict with that. In our country, patriotism should not be defined as obedience to an authority.”

Should Firsts Country Sometimes Government Principles Policy Truth Is Conflict Authority Constitution Our Country Defined Obedience Patriotic Loyal Amendments First Amendment

Author:Daniel Ellsberg

“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].”

“The First Amendment is important not only to guarantee the rights of alternative religions and of nonreligious persons in society; it is also important in setting the only possible legal and social condition for the creative health of serious religion itself.”

Firsts Persons Important Religion Social Creative Rights Conditions Serious Speech Constitution Setting Settings Alternatives Guarantees Amendments First Amendment Social Conditions

Book:Creationism on Trial: Evolution and God at Little Rock

Source: Creationism on Trial: Evolution and God at Little Rock

“The Constitution, in addition to delegating certain enumerated powers to Congress, places whole areas outside the reach of Congress' regulatory authority. The First Amendment, for example, is fittingly celebrated for preventing Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion or "abridging the freedom of speech." The Second Amendment similarly appears to contain an express limitation on the government's authority.”

Firsts Whole Government Certain Example Exercise Speech Authority Areas Constitution Congress Limitation Amendments Freedom Of Speech First Amendment Second Amendment Preventing

Author:Clarence Thomas

“We are a people of faith. We have been so secure in that faith that we have enshrined in our Constitution protection for people who profess no faith. And good for us for doing so. That is what the First Amendment is all about.”

People Firsts Has Beens Constitution Protection Secure Amendments First Amendment

Book:Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton, 1993, Bk. 2, August 1 to December 31, 1993

Source: Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, William J. Clinton, 1993, Bk. 2, August 1 to December 31, 1993

“I call myself a radical conservative. What's that? Well, let's analyze it. Go to the dictionary. Radical: One who gets to the roots of things. And I'm a conservative because I want to conserve the green of the grass, the potability of drinking water, the first amendment of the Constitution and whatever sanity we have left.”

Want Firsts Wells Left Water Roots Constitution Green Drinking Conservative Radical Grass Sanity Amendments Dictionary First Amendment Drinking Water

Author:Studs Terkel

“If we set the precedent of limiting the First Amendment, in order to protect the sensibilities of those who are offended by flag burning, what will we say the next time someone is offended by some other minority view, or by some other person's exercise of the freedom the Constitution is supposed to protect?”

Ifs Firsts Persons Order Next Views Exercise Protect Constitution Burning Minorities Flags Amendments Sensibility Next Time Offended First Amendment Precedent Flag Burning

Author:Edward Kennedy

“The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people from religion; that amendment was written to protect religion from government tyranny. . . But now we're told our children have no right to pray in school. Nonsense. The pendulum has swung too far toward intolerance against genuine religious freedom. It is time to redress the balance.”

“The word 'free' is used three times in the Declaration of Independence and once in the First Amendment to the Constitution, along with 'freedom.' The word 'fair' is not used in either of our founding documents.”

Firsts Used Three Fairs Constitution Independence Amendments Documents Declaration Founding Three Times First Amendment Declaration Of Independence

Author:Milton Friedman

“I think it is appropriate that we pay tribute to this great constitutional principle which is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution: the principle of religious independence, of religious liberty, of religious freedom.”

Thinking Firsts Religious Pay Liberty Principles Constitution Independence Appropriate Amendments First Amendment Tribute Religious Freedom Religious Liberty

Author:John F. Kennedy

“Donald Trump creates scapegoats in Muslims and Mexican immigrants. He calls for the use of torture. He calls for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit First Amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.”

“I'm a constitutionalist. You know, does faith matter to me? Sure. But the beauty of the Constitution, the beauty of the First Amendment, it protects everyone's faith.”

Knows Firsts Doe Matter Protect Constitution Amendments First Amendment

Author:Ted Cruz

“Reading their letters and the First Amendment of the US Constitution, I infer that this nation's founders noted that religions have been at the center of great deal of trouble, so they precluded the US government from getting involved in religion, i.e. "... shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Over the centuries, various religions have laid claim to various morals; consider the difficulties outsiders are having today in the Middle East, for example.”

“The First Amendment of the US Constitution ... is an eloquent repudiation of the First Commandment's prohibition of religious freedom. It is also a repudiation of the Third Commandment's prohibition of freedom of speech. The Thirteenth Amendment repudiates the institution of slavery which is so cozily assumed by the Fourth and Tenth Protestant Commandments.”

“I've reported in countries where leaders not only complain about a critical press, but also try to shut it down, throwing reporters in prison or worse. I've seen my colleagues risk their lives and, with increasing frequency, lose their lives in their pursuit of the truth. We are not about to stop doing our jobs because yet another president is unhappy with what he reads or hears or sees on TV news. There is a reason the founders put freedom of the press in the very first amendment to the Constitution.”

“The First Amendment to the Constitution says government can't establish a religion, but neither can it limit the exercise of religion. And that's the issue here. What does it mean to be free to exercise your religion? It's not about what you can believe. It's whether you can act on those beliefs.”

Firsts Believe Mean Doe Government Belief Issues Exercise Limits Constitution Amendments First Amendment

Author:Tom Gjelten

“I think the president, very simply, has never read a copy of the Constitution. I think that that's true. He's just never bothered to read the Constitution, and he just has no understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment's protections for freedom of speech.”

Thinking Understanding President Constitution Appreciation Protection Freedom Of Speech Bothered First Amendment

Author:John Kiriakou

“Free speech is what we all have and is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. Academic freedom refers to what happens in the university, particularly in the classroom, and to the importance of the teacher having the right to teach and share what he or she has learned, has proven her competence to teach, having gone through a series of tests and certifications including research and writing to demonstrate her abilities and knowledge.”

Writing Ability Teach Teacher Share Importance Constitution Academic Classroom Free Speech Competence First Amendment

Author:Joan Wallach Scott

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

People Made States God Government America Political Politics Religious Freedom Liberty Moral Virtue Rights Society Morality Bible Constitution Lawyer Presidential Usa Heritage Virtuous Founders Founding First Amendment Governing Church And State Inadequate Our Founding Fathers Us History Civil Society Founding Fathers Christian Us Founding Fathers American Society Founding Fathers Religion Founding Fathers Religious American Government Religion God Religious Liberty Founding Fathers Of America Founding America American Founding Fathers Founding Fathers Atheist Christian Father Christian Heritage Us Constitution American Liberty Founding Fathers Democracy Religion And Government Morality And Religion Liberty And Justice Contending Moral Virtues Revolution Founding Fathers Religion In Society Government And Society Christian Patriotic One Nation Under God American Constitution Christian Morality Justice Of God Future Of America Christianity And Government Patriotic Religious Moral Decay Christian Schools Moral Freedom Moral Society

Book:Works: with a life of the author

Source: Works: with a life of the author

“To those who cite the first amendment as reason for excluding God from more and more of our institutions and everyday life, may I just say: The first amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny.”

Source: Ronald Reagan

“I believe in the American tradition of separation of church and state which is expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. By my office - and by personal conviction - I am sworn to uphold that tradition.”

“It is the fundamental right of every American, as guaranteed by the first amendment of the Constitution, to worship as he or she pleases... This legislation sets forth the policy of the United States to protect and preserve the inherent right of American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian people to believe, express, and exercise their traditional religions”

Source: Jimmy Carter

“All these people talk so eloquently about getting back to good old-fashioned values. Well, as an old poop I can remember back to when we had those old-fashioned values, and I say let's get back to the good old-fashioned First Amendment of the good old-fashioned Constitution of the United States - and to hell with the censors! Give me knowledge or give me death!”

“The Constitution exists precisely so that opinions and judgments, including esthetic and moral judgments about art and literature, can be formed, tested, and expressed. What the Constitution says is that these judgments are for the individual to make, not for the Government to decree, even with the mandate or approval of a majority. Technology expands the capacity to choose; and it denies the potential of this revolution if we assume the Government is best positioned to make these choices for us.”

“Every legislative limitation upon utterance, however valid, may in a particular case serve as an inroad upon the freedom of speech which the Constitution protects.”

May Cases Particular Protect Speech Constitution Limitation Censorship Freedom Of Speech First Amendment Utterance Freedom To Read

Author:Stanley Forman Reed

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Law Religion Exercise Constitution Congress Separation Establishment First Amendment Church And State Separation Of Church And State Freedom Of Thought Civil Liberties Our Founding Fathers Religious Freedom Religious Belief Founding Fathers Christian Us Founding Fathers Freedom Of The Press Founding Fathers Religion Separation Between Church And State Founding Fathers Religious Freedom Of Religion Religion God Religious Liberty Constitution Of The United States Founding Fathers Anti Religion Founding Fathers Of America Founding America American Founding Fathers Founding Fathers Atheist Deism There Being No God Christianity From Founding Fathers Christian Atheist Religion Christian Us Constitution Religion And Government Anti Christian Christian Right Amendment 1 American Freedom Deist One Nation Under God Religious Truth Religious Bigotry Secular Society Liberty Of Speech Christian Freedom Christianity And Government Christian Schools Laws And Government Legitimate Power Establishment Clause

Book:The Virginia Report of 1799-1800: Touching the Alien and Sedition Laws; Together with the Virginia Resolutions of December 21, 1798, Including the Debate and Proceedings Thereon in the House of Delegates of Virginia and Other Documents Illustrative of the Report and Resolutions

Source: The Virginia Report of 1799-1800: Touching the Alien and Sedition Laws; Together with the Virginia Resolutions of December 21, 1798, Including the Debate and Proceedings Thereon in the House of Delegates of Virginia and Other Documents Illustrative of the Report and Resolutions

“Whatever one's religion in his private life may be, for the officeholder, nothing takes precedence over his oath to uphold the Constitution and all its parts - including the First Amendment and the strict separation of church and state.”

Firsts May States Church Atheism Constitution Including Separation Presidential Amendments Strict Private Life First Amendment Church And State Oath Separation Of Church And State Precedence

Author:John F. Kennedy