--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we have is two important values in…" description: "\"What we have is two important values in conflict: freedom of speech and our desire for healthy campaigns in a healthy democracy. You can't have both.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11a/dick-gephardt-11719_campaigns_what-we-have-is-two-important-values-in_1497712.jpg" --- # What we have is two important values in conflict: freedom… ![“What we have is two important values in conflict: freedom of speech and our desire for healthy campaigns in a healthy democracy. You can't have both.” quote by Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11a/dick-gephardt-11719_campaigns_what-we-have-is-two-important-values-in_1497712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11a/dick-gephardt-11719_campaigns_what-we-have-is-two-important-values-in_1497712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/11a/dick-gephardt-11719_campaigns_what-we-have-is-two-important-values-in_1497712.jpg) > “What we have is two important values in conflict: freedom of speech and our desire for healthy campaigns in a healthy democracy. You can't have both.” [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing free expression with public health goals creates tension in democratic societies. **In simple terms:** Freedom and health can clash. Key Takeaway Seek policies that respect speech while protecting health. Themes democracy freedom public health politics Mood concerned thoughtful Type political ethical When to use this quote - election campaigns - public health messaging - social media regulation Key Concepts civil liberties public policy media ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect health without silencing dissent? - What safeguards ensure balanced discourse? A Different Perspective Balancing may limit speech; health measures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Campaigns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campaigns/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Conflict Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-freedom-5483003/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-speech/) [Freedom Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-speech/) [Healthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy/) [Healthy Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healthy-democracy-1540835/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-values/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Values Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values-conflict-3728892/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [Morality is not a simple set of rules. It's a very complex struggle of conflicting patterns of values. This conflict is the residue of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-pirsig/morality-is-not-a-simple-set-of-rules-it-s-a-very-complex-struggle-of/) [Robert M. Pirsig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-pirsig/) > [“when the price of peace with others is the surrender of one’s highest values, conflict become one’s greatest asset.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-w-southwick/when-the-price-of-peace-with-others-is-the-surrender-of-one-s-highest/) [S.W. Southwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-w-southwick/) > [One goal of ethical inquiry might be to uncover strategies available for use when values conflict or when rules are incomplete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kitcher/one-goal-of-ethical-inquiry-might-be-to-uncover-strategies-available/) [Philip Kitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kitcher/) > [I am most comfortable in a "learner" role, I may raise my values-related concerns by asking the well-crafted and well-timed question, rather than by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-gentile/i-am-most-comfortable-in-a-learner-role-i-may-raise-my-values-related/) [Mary C. Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-gentile/) > [We believe in freedom of speech for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/we-believe-in-freedom-of-speech-for-everybody/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [It is open for anyone to have freedom of speech, and I guess we can all play a role in trying to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-hamilton/it-is-open-for-anyone-to-have-freedom-of-speech-and-i-guess-we-can/) [Lewis Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-hamilton/) > [We need a free media, not just freedom of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-scholz/we-need-a-free-media-not-just-freedom-of-speech/) [Tom Scholz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-scholz/) > [Freedom of speech does not mean disgusting and disrespecting someone or someones faith. Freedom of speech means speaking against the wrong and not against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hqlinesme/freedom-of-speech-does-not-mean-disgusting-and-disrespecting-someone/) [HQLinesme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hqlinesme/) > [Freedom of press and freedom of speech: What a blessing for a country while in the hands of honest, patriotic men; what a curse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-h-boetcker/freedom-of-press-and-freedom-of-speech-what-a-blessing-for-a-country/) [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) > [“Freedom of speech has a number.It was the WikiLeaks IP Address.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-domscheit-berg/freedom-of-speech-has-a-number-it-was-the-wikileaks-ip-address/) [Daniel Domscheit-Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-domscheit-berg/) > [“On the one hand, freedom of speech guarantees a lack of freedom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/on-the-one-hand-freedom-of-speech-guarantees-a-lack-of-freedom/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [“It struck me that there is a reason James Madison put freedom of speech and freedom of the press in the very first amendment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-karl/it-struck-me-that-there-is-a-reason-james-madison-put-freedom-of/) [Jonathan Karl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-karl/) > [I think that, as Americans, we should never forget that when we tamper with freedom of speech, it is a very sensitive issue that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/i-think-that-as-americans-we-should-never-forget-that-when-we-tamper/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) ## More by Dick Gephardt > [One of the big mistakes Republicans made with the Contract with America is that they tried to do too much too fast, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/one-of-the-big-mistakes-republicans-made-with-the-contract-with/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [If you want to run for president, you better be an athlete. It's 24/7. It never ends. You give up your personal life completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/if-you-want-to-run-for-president-you-better-be-an-athlete-it-s-24-7/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I was raised in a working class family of Baptist faith, and I went to college on a church scholarship where early teachings were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-was-raised-in-a-working-class-family-of-baptist-faith-and-i-went-to/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [In 1988, as an unknown candidate, totally unknown, I won Iowa, came in second in New Hampshire, won South Dakota. I was ahead in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/in-1988-as-an-unknown-candidate-totally-unknown-i-won-iowa-came-in/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I don't think you can be a good listener unless you're a good listener. I think it's something that you really have to do,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-don-t-think-you-can-be-a-good-listener-unless-you-re-a-good/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I grew up in a household that was a labor household. My dad was a Teamster and a milk truck driver. My mother was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-grew-up-in-a-household-that-was-a-labor-household-my-dad-was-a/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [You don't lock into a ten-year family budget. You take it a year at a time - maybe even six months at a time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/you-don-t-lock-into-a-ten-year-family-budget-you-take-it-a-year-at-a/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [America is a great country. We are so wealthy. But our one remaining challenge is to fulfill the potential of all our people. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/america-is-a-great-country-we-are-so-wealthy-but-our-one-remaining/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I think a lot of people think I was born in a blue suit, on the David Brinkley show. And that isn't me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-think-a-lot-of-people-think-i-was-born-in-a-blue-suit-on-the-david/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [I think it's time we had a president who carried the same life experiences into the White House as most ordinary Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/i-think-it-s-time-we-had-a-president-who-carried-the-same-life/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [Our democracy if self-cleansing. If you don't like it, be a candidate, or support a candidate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gephardt/our-democracy-if-self-cleansing-if-you-don-t-like-it-be-a-candidate/) [Dick Gephardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gephardt/) > [Diplomacy matters. Burden-sharing matters. Follow-through matters. And yes, sustaining the peace is harder, more complex and often costlier than winning the war itself. 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I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/) [Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/) > [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [I would like to have campaign spending limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/i-would-like-to-have-campaign-spending-limits/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [The reason that minorities and women don't have a better shot at getting elected to the Senate or to statewide office is because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/the-reason-that-minorities-and-women-don-t-have-a-better-shot-at/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [We need to be more precise in how we talk about these issues. 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