Best William J. Brennan Quotes
- We hold that the Constitution does not forbid the states minor intrusions into an individual's body under stringently limited conditions. Body
- We do not consecrate the flag by punishing its desecration, for in doing so, we dilute the freedom this cherished emblem represents. Cherished
- If the right to privacy means anything, it is the right of the individual, married or single, to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion. Free
- Our statute books gradually became laden with gross, stereotyped distinctions between the sexes and, indeed, throughout much of the 19th century the position of women… Became
- Whether to the average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to prurient interest. Appeals
- Our amended Constitution is the lodestar for our aspirations. Like every text worth reading, it is not crystalline. The phrasing is broad and the limitations… Ambiguity
- There is no such thing as a false idea. False
- The concept of military necessity is seductively broad, and has a dangerous plasticity. Because they invariably have the visage of overriding importance, there is always… Approached
- The principle inherent in the clause that prohibits pointless infliction of excessive punishment when less severe punishment can adequately achieve the same purposes invalidates the… Achieve
- The quest for freedom, dignity, and the rights of man will never end. Dignity
- No doubt, there are those who believe that judges-and particularly dissenting judges-write to hear themselves say, as it were, I I I. And no doubt,… Agree
- Consequences flow from a justice's interpretation in a direct and immediate way. A judicial decision respecting the incompatibility of Jim Crow with a constitutional guarantee… Consequence
- Punishing desecration of the flag dilutes the very freedom that makes this emblem so revered. Desecration
- It is difficult to understand precisely what the state hopes to achieve by promoting the creation and perpetuation of a subclass of illiterates within our… Achieve
- Lawyers, before any other group, must continue to point out how the system is really working-how it actually affects real people. They must constantly demonstrate… Actually Affects
- You in the media ought to be ashamed of yourselves to call the provisions and the guarantees of the Bill of Rights 'Technicalities'. They're not.… Ashamed
- The Bill of Rights never gets off the page and into the lives of most Americans. Americans
- We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us. Bad Day