--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would say that the Pentagon Papers case…" description: "\"I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obt..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg" --- # I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in… ![“I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obtained from a secret study of how we got involved in the war in Vietnam - that is probably the most important case.” quote by Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg) > “I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obtained from a secret study of how we got involved in the war in Vietnam - that is probably the most important case.” [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Abrams argues that the 1971 Pentagon Papers case is perhaps the most crucial legal battle, defending press freedom against government censorship. **In simple terms:** The case is vital for protecting press freedom. Key Takeaway Defend and support a press. Themes law press freedom government transparency civil liberties Mood serious definitive Type historical legal advocacy When to use this quote - journalism ethics - civic education - policy advocacy Key Concepts first amendment judicial precedent public accountability Questions to Reflect On - Why is this case still relevant today? - How can we strengthen press protections? A Different Perspective Legal outcomes can be limited by political climate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the 'The New York Times' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [“One of its analysts was Daniel Ellsberg, who at the time was back in the States compiling the report that—after he leaked it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bowden/one-of-its-analysts-was-daniel-ellsberg-who-at-the-time-was-back-in/) [Mark Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bowden/) > [In the Pentagon Papers case, the government asserted in the Supreme Court that the publication of the material was a threat to national security.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/in-the-pentagon-papers-case-the-government-asserted-in-the-supreme/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Say the Pentagon Papers, - that material went much deeper. It went into internal government planning back for twenty - five years. Those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/say-the-pentagon-papers-that-material-went-much-deeper-it-went-into/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [EVERY attack now made on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was made against me and the release of the Pentagon Papers at the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/every-attack-now-made-on-wikileaks-and-julian-assange-was-made/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [The days of the Pentagon Papers debates seem long past, when a sudden transparency yielded insight into fights over war and peace and freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/the-days-of-the-pentagon-papers-debates-seem-long-past-when-a-sudden/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [There should be at least one leak like the Pentagon Papers every year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/there-should-be-at-least-one-leak-like-the-pentagon-papers-every-year/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [The Pentagon Papers case stands today as a barrier to silence by official edict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lewis/the-pentagon-papers-case-stands-today-as-a-barrier-to-silence-by/) [Anthony Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lewis/) > [There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-is-no-plausible-theory-under-which-the-record-of-the-pentagon/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden's release of NSA material, and that definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/in-my-estimation-there-has-not-been-in-american-history-a-more/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) > [The whole secret of the study of nature lies in learning how to use one's eyes...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/the-whole-secret-of-the-study-of-nature-lies-in-learning-how-to-use/) [George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/) > [I have told somebody in court that 'I understand yours is the most important case in the world, and I'm trying to treat it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pacey/i-have-told-somebody-in-court-that-i-understand-yours-is-the-most/) [Steven Pacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pacey/) > [ “Had I been given The \[Pentagon\] Papers themselves that early, I would probably have become a prisoner of them—as it was, I had a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halberstam/had-i-been-given-the-pentagon-papers-themselves-that-early-i-would/) [David Halberstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-halberstam/) > [President-elect Trump wants to win them if you're going to be involved in a war. I don't think he wants to be involved in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-keane/president-elect-trump-wants-to-win-them-if-you-re-going-to-be/) [Jack Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-keane/) > [When I arrived in America, though I had left the war physically far behind, in my mind, the soldiers were still chasing to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loung-ung/when-i-arrived-in-america-though-i-had-left-the-war-physically-far/) [Loung Ung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loung-ung/) ## More by Floyd Abrams > [It has something to do with the facts and the law and who the judges are. So I think lawyers sometimes exaggerate their role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/it-has-something-to-do-with-the-facts-and-the-law-and-who-the-judges/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [The government understands - every government, every administration, both parties, understands - that that power, they just don't have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/the-government-understands-every-government-every-administration-both/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [The government would be able to go to court with respect to newspaper articles, broadcast pieces and the like that they thought were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/the-government-would-be-able-to-go-to-court-with-respect-to-newspaper/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I really do think that if we had lost that case we would really live in a country that would be really quite different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-really-do-think-that-if-we-had-lost-that-case-we-would-really-live/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [CBS exhausted the Texas courts. They went from the trial court to the intermediate court to the highest court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/cbs-exhausted-the-texas-courts-they-went-from-the-trial-court-to-the/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [When I began we did not really have a lot of First Amendment law. It is really surprising to think of it this way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/when-i-began-we-did-not-really-have-a-lot-of-first-amendment-law-it/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [It just seems to be a human trait to want to protect the speech of people with whom we agree. For the First Amendment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/it-just-seems-to-be-a-human-trait-to-want-to-protect-the-speech-of/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [My role in it was not as central as it was in some of the later cases considering I was younger then and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/my-role-in-it-was-not-as-central-as-it-was-in-some-of-the-later-cases/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [Were this not Texas, were there not a state where there were no protections at all and where the law was clear on that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/were-this-not-texas-were-there-not-a-state-where-there-were-no/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I thought that one of the things that we were losing sight of is the basic reasons that we do protect free speech and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-thought-that-one-of-the-things-that-we-were-losing-sight-of-is-the/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I am really impressed by lawyers who write books and tell us that they never lost a case. Most lawyers who have never lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-am-really-impressed-by-lawyers-who-write-books-and-tell-us-that/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I really try at least to come back and answer the question as to whether that was really the best way to do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-really-try-at-least-to-come-back-and-answer-the-question-as-to/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I think we have some serious problems now, but, if you look back over the last thirty or forty years that my book deals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-think-we-have-some-serious-problems-now-but-if-you-look-back-over/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I try to do that in this book without preaching - to try to do as you just said that you really have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-try-to-do-that-in-this-book-without-preaching-to-try-to-do-as-you/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) > [I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the 'The New York Times' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the/) [Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) [Explore all 38 Floyd Abrams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/) ## More Block quotes > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. 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Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-parker/) Browse all 1,755 Block quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obtained from a secret study of how we got involved in the war in Vietnam - that is probably the most important case.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Floyd Abrams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Block" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/floyd-abrams-17028_block_i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-cas_2807201.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York…” — Floyd Abrams", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Floyd Abrams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-abrams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would say that the Pentagon...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-abrams/i-would-say-that-the-pentagon-papers-case-of-1971-in-which-the-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```