Quote Of The Day: Freedom Of Speech Edition

I spent lunchtime listening in on a Continuing Legal Education webinar on First Amendment law and the Internet, and the presenter began with this quote from Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address:

If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve the Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.

I’m not sure I could imagine an American President saying that today, and meaning it.

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. James says:

    Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address:

    If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve the Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.

    Bravo: I can second that, It will go up on FB.

    James Flat lands of Texas

  2. James says:

    This is a bend to the east, Steven Taylor (Troy edu.)seems to thinks that “Republic” is a misnomer?

  3. sam says:

    Easy for him to say in 1801…

  4. tom p says:

    “Easy for him to say in 1801…”

    Not so hard in 2010…