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Today, every president is the target of criticism and mockery. It is inconceivable that even the most caustic critic would be imprisoned for his or her words.

— Anthony Lewis Freedom for the Thought That We Hate : A Biography of the First Amendment (2007)

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More quotes by Anthony Lewis

The court is the least abstract of institutions. It is nine men, nine very human men, participating in a process that can be impressive or disturbing, grave or funny. And contrary to the general impression, the process is more visible than most of what goes on in government.

Congressional Quarterly's Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court (1979)

A final argument for broad freedom of expression is its effect on the character of individuals in a society. Citizens in a free society must have courage — the courage to hear not only unwelcome political speech but novel and shocking ideas in science and the arts.

Without the foundation of law, this vast country could never have survived as one, could never have absorbed streams of immigrants from myriad cultures. With one terrible exception, the Civil War, law and the Constitution have kept America whole and free.

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Anthony Lewis (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.