Louis Brandeis and The Value of More Speech

"Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears." - Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357, 376 (1927).

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"Those who won our independence by revolution were not cowards. They did not fear political change. They did not exalt order at the cost of liberty. To courageous, self-reliant men, with confidence in the power of free and fearless reasoning applied through the processes of popular government, no danger flowing from speech can be deemed clear and present, unless the incidence of the evil apprehended is so imminent that it may befall before there is opportunity for full discussion. If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, (emphasis added) not enforced silence." - Concurring, Whitney v. California, 274 U.S. 357 (1927).

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In honor of and in the spirit of Louis Brandeis The Drucker Report tm is proud to introduce our More Speech page featuring introductions of and essays by various bold minds in and around the political community willing to share their words, thoughts, hopes and aspirations for today, tomorrow and the future. If you have a bold mind interested in contributing a 500 or less word essay please feel free to email me with your prior props and writing proposals at philipdrucker@gmail.com.

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If we would guide by the light of reason, we must let our minds be bold. - Louis Brandeis