TT #11: 13 Quotes About Censorship

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How censorship, and the attempt to censor thoughts of others out of fear of corrupting them, makes for a society of cowards.

1. Fear of corrupting the mind of the younger generation is the loftiest form of cowardice.

George Holbrook Jackson:   British journalist and publisher (1874-1948)

2. Censorship is the commonest social blasphemy because it is mostly concealed, built into us by indolence, self-interest, and cowardice.   

John Osborne: British dramatist/satirist (1929-1994)

 

3.  I look upon those who would deny others the right to urge and argue their position, however irksome and pernicious they may seem, as intellectual and moral cowards.   

William E. Borah:  attorney and Idaho Senator (1865-1940)

How censorship endangers intellectual development and a free society....

4.   Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.

Harry S. Truman: 33rd President, 1945-1953  (1884-1972)

6.  We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas,
alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.

-- John F. Kennedy:   35th President, 1961-63   (1917-1963)

7.  We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavoring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still. 

John Stuart Mill,  British philosopher, economist, and moral and political theorist:  (1806-1873)

8. The peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it.  If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth:  if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. 

John Stuart Mill,  British philosopher, economist, and moral and political theorist:  (1806-1873)

9.  Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself.  It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime. 

Potter Stewart,  Associate Justice, United StatesSupreme Court from 1958-81 (1915-1985)

10.  Restriction on free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us. 

William O. Douglas , Associate Justice, United States Supreme Court from 1939-75 (1898-1980)

...and it doesn't work anyway.

11.   Pontius Pilate was the first great censor and Jesus Christ the first great victim of censorship.

Ben Lindsey, Colorado juvenile law judge and reformer (1869-1943)

12.  "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him."

John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn:  British politician and statesman, writer, and newspaper editor (1838-1923)

Besides:

13.   Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?    [Who will watch the watchers?]

Juvenal:  Roman satiric poet   (60 AD-140 AD)

Related BN-Politics' Posts:

* A Challenge: Putting a Value on Being Informed

* Inspector General Blocked Investigations & Censored Reports?

* Fox Not-news Scrubbed Wikipedia

* What liberal media?

* What liberal media? Part II

 

* Today: House Hearing on Bill to Protect Journalists

BN-Politics thanks commenters! Their websites are linked below:

1. Puss Reboots
2. Chelle Y.
3. The Gal Herself
4. Lara
5. Comedy Plus
6. Lori
7. Journeywoman
8. WFMom
9. Wylie Kinison
10. Nicole Austin
11. Secret Agent Mama
12. Wacky Mommy
13. Renae
14. Xakara
15. A Gentleman's Domain
16. Around the Island
17. Just Let Go
18. Siani's Pot-Pourri
19. I'm Letting go
20. Barely Myself
21. A Cowboy's Wife
22. Artventuring
23. Seeley DeBorn
24. Scooper Speaks
25. Author L.A. Day
26. Ed's Thread
27. A Chronicler's Life
28. Try Some, It's Good
29. Trivial Pursuits
30. Fond of Snape
31. Salome's Corner
32. Author Amy Ruttan
33. State of Confusion
34. Notes in the Key of Life
35. Deb
36. I'm Running to Win Two
37. My Life/My Opinions/My Blog
38. On a Limb with Claudia
39. She Became a Butterfly
40. Kat's Kracker Box
41. Joy in the Moment
42. Babysteps
43. Dane Bramage
44. The Chronicles of a SAHM
45. Jendi
46. Life in the Urban Zoo
47. Life in the 'Burg
48. D3
49. Erin
50. Angela Klocke....A Renaissance Soul
51. Alien Dream
52. Impworks
53. Moondancer Drake
54. Colours of Dawn
55. The Incogblogo
56. Adrian Drake
57. Here Comes a Storm
58. Crazy Working Mom
59. Tinkerbell
60. Live Your Life and Smile
61. Raven's Roads
    

Comments

[pussreboots]

#13 is a favorite quote of mine. Happy TT.

[Chelle Y.]

Great list! You sure did a lot of research this week!

http://www.chelleyoung.com/index.php/archive/thursday-thirteen-76-thirteen-things-about-my-nephew-wesley/

[The Gal Herself]

So proud of the quotes from JFK and Truman! It represents my country at its best. Thanks for the reminder of who we have been, and who we may be again someday.

[Lara]

#12 could have many, many implications. Should be tatooed on the foreheads of abusers everywhere. Absolutely great list!! Thanks for sharing those (and looking them all up!)
Happy TT!

[Comedy Plus]

Great list and true too. Steller job. Have a great TT. :)

[Lori]

Greawt stuff!! Happy TT.

[Journeywoman]

GREAT list. I like Truman's and Kennedy's quotes the best.

Happy TT.

[WFMom]

Wow, awesome, awesome list (yet again). I'm a big fan of the Kennedy quote.

[Wylie Kinson]

I was always against censorship in any form, until I had children. Now, a small part of me would like to censor *some things* to protect them from the big, bad world.
It's an overprotective mother thing I think.
I'll get over it, I'm sure! :)

[Nicole Austin]

Great list! Its horrible when opinions, ideas and creativity are stifled because of fear. Without open expression and sharing of ideas we'd still be living as cavemen.

[Secret Agent Mama]

I always feel smart reading your TT!!!

[Heather Rae Scott]

This is another great list! I always seem to learn something over here and I love #13.

[Wacky Mommy]

This column was very timely for Wacky House -- esp. #10.

Happy Thursday, everyone.

[renae]

Hello!
I just read the comment you left on my blog about linking.. not really sure what you meant but I've now enabled something to do with links so maybe that will help?!

I like your TT!

[Xakara]

They are all great quotes but 12 and 13 are definite favorites.

Thanks for giving me more to add to my quote collection. :)

~X

[Nicholas]

A very good list and all those quotes are worth remembering. Censorship is one of the greatest evils we face -- people in elite committees deciding what you and I may read and see. You can't have just a little censorship any more than you can have just a little cancer.

[Robin from Israel]

Can I just say ditto to Nicholas' comment? He said it better than I would have.

[Emmyrose]

Great list :)

Happy TT!

[Siani]

What a fantastic list. I especially like the quotes by Truman, Kennedy, and John Stuart Mill. Thanks for providing some food for thought.

[Candy]

Wonderful TT! I took quotes some from your list to add to my favorites.

[diz]

Interesting list! Happy TT'ing, and thanks for stopping by my place!

[Lori]

Very interesting! And I learned something:)

[Michelle Davis Petelinz]

#13 is so, so true in our current times.
Excellent, thought-provoking TT!

[Seeley deBorn]

Censor the censors! ;)

[Scooper]

13 is my favorite. It's very true and brings to mind a never ending circle. Once it starts, it just keeps going and a watcher will always be needed.

[LA Day]

Great list. I love the Kennedy quotes.

[Ed]

I always leave your post with something to ponder. How can we as a nation founded on the principles of free speech and religion censor any idea. William O. Douglas's quote speaks so strongly to this I am glad that you included it.
Thank you for this timely post.
Ed

[Joshua]

I always get educated every time I read your TT. Thanks so much for taking the time to research all this and share your knowledge with us. Oh, was that you in traffic? LOL! Thanks for dropping by!

[Ann Aguirre]

#13 has a lot of resonance. Great list.

[Shiloh]

I love 11, 12 & 13.

[Joanne]

I love #9. #13 made me think though, there's almost a shift from censorship to the big brother idea. Instead of censoring, "they" are watching every move. It's scary.

[Janet]

EXCELLENT post! I enjoyed #8 very much, so very true.

[Carrie Lofty]

"Censorship in any form is the enemy of creativity, since it cuts off the life blood of creativity: ideas." -- Allan Jenkins, journalist

[Amy Ruttan]

I'm learning so much from you. Great TT, thanks for dropping by my spooky one. LOL.

[Natalie]

I love the quotes! Great list!

[Cindy Swanson]

Good quotes. Freedom of speech applies across the board, whether we agree with what's being expressed or not.

[Deb - Mom of 3 Girls]

Some of these quotes I'd heard before but some of them were new to me - very good list! I love how I always learn something new from your T13 posts! :)

[Rhonda]

Oh wow! I HATE politics, but you made it very interesting here...I'm a visual, so the pictures helped ;) p.s. now i'll be blogrolling you!

[Misa Gracie]

Amazing TT - Censorship, whether self-imposed or mandated by law, policy, rule or injunction, is never a good thing.

Often people forget that the RIGHT to publish/say things does not automatically mean that they SHOULD. Our judgement in our personal conduct shouldn't be forced upon us, we should be able, of our own volition, to know what is appropriate and what is not.

Happy TT!

[Open Grove Claudia]

I think we've become increasingly intolerant to other people's opinions. We get so caught up in being right (Oh I could go on!) that we almost need censorship to keep us from beating each other up.

[Open Grove Claudia]

I think we've become increasingly intolerant to other people's opinions. We get so caught up in being right (Oh I could go on!) that we almost need censorship to keep us from beating each other up.

[she]

excellent info as always.

my tt: http://www.shebecameabutterfly.net/?p=146

[Marcia]

I p_____m I________ j
g----------#*&

This wasa really long post but it got c____D

[katskrackerbox]

I really like # 12. "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." Happy TT!

[Lulu]

Hmmm...I really like this list. This one in particular because it reminds me a bit of what goes on in my office:

I look upon those who would deny others the right to urge and argue their position, however irksome and pernicious they may seem, as intellectual and moral cowards.

[Babystepper]

Great TT! Seems like you did a ton of research.

I highly recommend Uncle John's Bathroom Readers to any and all. There are about 15 or 20 of them, and they're all funny and informative.

[Dane Bramage]

Wow! This was a great list and #13 is a favorite of mine as well.

Thanks for visiting my Thursday Thirteen #48 edition

[Nap Warden]

I think #4 needs to be revisited by some people in office today. Great list!

[Jendi]

Looks like your post took a lot of work.
I like number 13.

[Sue]

All great quotes! Have a terrific weekend, and happy TT! :)

[Gail Martin]

Great list. You have the ability to get a person thinking.

Happy TT!

[J. Lynne]

What great quotes! It's true that censorship only leads to more mistrust and paranoia and thus more censorship. It's incredibly self-destructive. Remember, that three people can keep a secret but only if 2 of them are dead.

[erin]

Great compilation of quotes. Happy TT!

[Angela Klocke]

I enjoyed the list - nice in the middle of a fluff day.

[Merrie]

This is quite a thought-provoking site! I always feel like I need to do my homework when I start reading these posts!

Great job!
:)
Merrie

[Mark Caldwell]

Robert A Heinlein's politics don't always come close to matching my politics but he wrote a lot of good stuff on censorship and secrecy. My favourite is from it goes on and is too long to reproduce but heres a snappier one...

"Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny."

[Moondancer Drake]

I love these quotes. Thanks for going though all the trouble of putting this together. I think #2 is my fav.

http://moondancerdrake.livejournal.com/

[Dawn]

Those are great quotes. Censorship is truly a roadblock to truth. Number 12 was as true of the days when people thought the earth was round to the things that are thought and thought to be true now. Good TT. Thanks for visiting my TT.

[Luka]

I love latin quotes! :-) Great list! mine are up now too! :-) better late than never! :-)

[Adrian Drake]

Amazing list! Bravo!

[Starrlight]

Oh my #12 is so appropriate for the times we live in.

[Crazy Working Mom]

Wow, what a great list! :)
Thanks so much for stopping by this week.

[Tink]

Great quotes! Still so true too...
Thanks for visiting my Mabon TT!

[Jill]

I really like # 9 and # 12!!
But I'm sad... Where are we, your fellow Canadians?? Not a mention about our political figures!!
Sorry for being so late!!

[Linda R. Moore]

Truly excellent, as always.

Do you visit all the TTs? I see you posting a lot--how do you do it?