--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have made a career out of arguing that…" description: "\"I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't be criminalizing political differences. I've made a career out of arguing that the grand jury is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/alan-dershowitz-2194_abusive_i-have-made-a-career-out-of-arguing-that_689970.jpg" --- # I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't be… ![“I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't be criminalizing political differences. I've made a career out of arguing that the grand jury is an abusive institution. I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't stretch and expand the criminal law. I'm not going to change it…” quote by Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/alan-dershowitz-2194_abusive_i-have-made-a-career-out-of-arguing-that_689970.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/alan-dershowitz-2194_abusive_i-have-made-a-career-out-of-arguing-that_689970.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63b/alan-dershowitz-2194_abusive_i-have-made-a-career-out-of-arguing-that_689970.jpg) > “I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't be criminalizing political differences. I've made a career out of arguing that the grand jury is an abusive institution. I have made a career out of arguing that we shouldn't stretch and expand the criminal law. I'm not going to change it because you think these are abnormal times. When Thomas Jefferson told the Justice Department that they had to prosecute Aaron Burr, and that he was going to have the chief justice impeached unless he found Aaron Burr guilty, those were special times too.” [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for limiting criminal law expansion and protecting political dissent, warning against overreach in legal institutions. **In simple terms:** Limit criminal law and protect political speech. Key Takeaway Resist expanding criminal statutes. Themes law politics civil liberties justice institutional reform Mood critical defensive analytical Type argumentative political When to use this quote - courtroom debates - legislative hearings - public policy discussions - media interviews Key Concepts legal theory civil rights political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect dissent without compromising safety? - What safeguards prevent abuse of grand juries? A Different Perspective Balancing security concerns with civil freedoms is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aaron Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aaron-burr/) [Criminal law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-law/) [Guilty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guilty/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-differences/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Special times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-times/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“grand jury indictment is not a conviction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/grand-jury-indictment-is-not-a-conviction/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [“At the top of the Palisades in Weehawken, New Jersey is a small park known as the Dueling Grounds. 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