--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is going right to the police. So…" description: "\"This is going right to the police. So, it's a very dangerous precedent.\" — Floyd Abrams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/floyd-abrams-17028_dangerous_this-is-going-right-to-the-police-so-it_2005303.png" --- # This is going right to the police. So, it's a very… ![“This is going right to the police. So, it's a very dangerous precedent.” quote by Floyd Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/floyd-abrams-17028_dangerous_this-is-going-right-to-the-police-so-it_2005303.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/floyd-abrams-17028_dangerous_this-is-going-right-to-the-police-so-it_2005303.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aeb/floyd-abrams-17028_dangerous_this-is-going-right-to-the-police-so-it_2005303.png) > “This is going right to the police. So, it's a very dangerous precedent.” [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. Warning that allowing unchecked police actions sets a risky legal precedent. **In simple terms:** Police actions can set dangerous legal precedents. Key Takeaway Advocate for accountability. Themes law justice precedent accountability policy Mood concerned critical Type legal political When to use this quote - legislative debates - community activism - media analysis Key Concepts civil rights legal standards public safety Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance security and civil liberties? - What mechanisms ensure police accountability? A Different Perspective May overlook systemic issues beyond individual cases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Precedent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precedent/) ## Related quotes > [Every public action which is not customary, either is wrong or, if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. It follows that nothing should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-cornford/every-public-action-which-is-not-customary-either-is-wrong-or-if-it/) [Francis Cornford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-cornford/) > [Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets. President Obama now leaves in place a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/chelsea-manning-s-treachery-put-american-lives-at-risk-and-exposed/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [The right of the police of Boston to affiliate has always been questioned, never granted, is now prohibited… There is no rightto strike against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/the-right-of-the-police-of-boston-to-affiliate-has-always-been/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [In a scholarly manner I have made it a habit to collect different crowd-control manuals, and I read them to the police sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vermin-supreme/in-a-scholarly-manner-i-have-made-it-a-habit-to-collect-different/) [Vermin Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vermin-supreme/) > [Our religious police has the most dangerous effect on society - the segregation of genders, putting the wrong ideas in the heads of men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basmah-bint-saud/our-religious-police-has-the-most-dangerous-effect-on-society-the/) [Basmah bint Saud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basmah-bint-saud/) > [To be sure, police do a dangerous job and take tremendous personal risks to safeguard the public. Most officers just want to do their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/to-be-sure-police-do-a-dangerous-job-and-take-tremendous-personal/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [Great powers reserve the right to police bad actors in their neighborhoods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-p-m-barnett/great-powers-reserve-the-right-to-police-bad-actors-in-their/) [Thomas P.M. Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-p-m-barnett/) > [We have to know what we're doing. Right now, our police, in many cases, are afraid to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-have-to-know-what-we-re-doing-right-now-our-police-in-many-cases/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [“Well, I guess it’s all right, since the police are on the way. I truly appreciate your doing this for me. You did call…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-hoisington/well-i-guess-it-s-all-right-since-the-police-are-on-the-way-i-truly/) Rod Hoisington > [Democrats creating the expectation that judges should act as politicians in robes is a dangerous precedent to set, threatening the very independence of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/democrats-creating-the-expectation-that-judges-should-act-as/) [Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/) > [“Many authors also attacked the widespread corruption among lawyers. In general, justice was recognized as being so unjust that, as Montaigne complained, ordinary people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bakewell/many-authors-also-attacked-the-widespread-corruption-among-lawyers-in/) [Sarah Bakewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bakewell/) > [“extremely dangerous precedent. Once established that a lecturer can be dismissed for his political views, fear will gag many academicians,’ he wrote. Johann”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-zille/extremely-dangerous-precedent-once-established-that-a-lecturer-can-be/) [Helen Zille](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-zille/) > [Opposing discrimination and supporting longstanding laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is not controversial - but conflating civil rights with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/opposing-discrimination-and-supporting-longstanding-laws-such-as-the/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [I certainly don't support billionaires bankrupting media organizations. Even if you don't like the people involved, that sets a dangerous precedent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/i-certainly-don-t-support-billionaires-bankrupting-media/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [“It sets a dangerous precedent. For avoiding pain? For avoiding life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowell-rainbow/it-sets-a-dangerous-precedent-for-avoiding-pain-for-avoiding-life/) Rowell Rainbow ## 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 Dangerous quotes > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [“It is dangerous to lock oneself away and lose track of what is happening outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/it-is-dangerous-to-lock-oneself-away-and-lose-track-of-what-is/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [Its extremely dangerous to compare anyone else to Shakespeare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-spacey/its-extremely-dangerous-to-compare-anyone-else-to-shakespeare/) [Kevin Spacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-spacey/) > [In my youth-team days, I was always a left-winger who would stay close to the byline and put crosses in the box, so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjen-robben/in-my-youth-team-days-i-was-always-a-left-winger-who-would-stay-close/) [Arjen Robben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjen-robben/) > [The temptations of God were always more dangerous for mankind than those of Satan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-temptations-of-god-were-always-more-dangerous-for-mankind-than/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [When you start talking about elections being rigged, you're pushing people beyond democratic governance. And it's a very, very dangerous thing to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-you-start-talking-about-elections-being-rigged-you-re-pushing/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Die gefährlichste Weltanschauung ist die Weltanschauung derer, die die Welt nie angeschaut haben. (The most dangerous worldview is the worldview of those who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-von-humboldt/die-gef-hrlichste-weltanschauung-ist-die-weltanschauung-derer-die-die/) [Alexander von Humboldt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-von-humboldt/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The more people that learn about you, even if you're an underdog, then you can come under fire a lot and the more attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-more-people-that-learn-about-you-even-if-you-re-an-underdog-then/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [Anyone who maintains absolute standards of good and evil is dangerous. As dangerous as a maniac with a loaded revolver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/anyone-who-maintains-absolute-standards-of-good-and-evil-is-dangerous/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [The proliferation of right-to-carry laws throughout the states has drawn plaintive complaints from the criminal element. They feel that it makes their profession too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/the-proliferation-of-right-to-carry-laws-throughout-the-states-has/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) Browse all 6,450 Dangerous quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is going right to the police. 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