--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An unconditional right to say what one…" description: "\"An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment.\" — Hugo Black" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/hugo-black-10272_affair_an-unconditional-right-to-say-what-one-p_2709899.png" --- # An unconditional right to say what one pleases about… ![“An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment.” quote by Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/hugo-black-10272_affair_an-unconditional-right-to-say-what-one-p_2709899.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/hugo-black-10272_affair_an-unconditional-right-to-say-what-one-p_2709899.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49d/hugo-black-10272_affair_an-unconditional-right-to-say-what-one-p_2709899.png) > “An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment.” [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom of speech is essential; the government must not restrict lawful expression about politics. **In simple terms:** Speech must be free from government limits. Key Takeaway Defend robust free speech rights. Themes free speech government rights Mood serious defensive Type legal political When to use this quote - political debate - media reporting - public protests - academic discourse Key Concepts constitutional law civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - How do we protect speech while preventing harm? - What limits, if any, are acceptable? A Different Perspective Balancing speech with hate speech concerns can be complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affair/) [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [First amendment rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment-rights/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Guarantee Amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantee-amendment-2800701/) [Guarantees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantees/) [Minimum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum/) [Minimum Guarantee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minimum-guarantee-2800702/) [Please](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/please/) [Pleases Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleases-public-2800703/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Public affairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-affairs/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Unconditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconditional/) [Unconditional Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconditional-right-2800700/) ## Related quotes > [Whether children have first amendment rights is a vexed legal question, but what is not in question is that they someday will. 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Why shouldn't executions be public? ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-donahue/asserting-important-first-amendment-rights-why-should-executions-be/) [Phil Donahue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-donahue/) > [If we don't believe in free expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-we-don-t-believe-in-free-expression-for-people-we-despise-we-don-t/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Our country as a whole, no less than the Hastings College of Law, values tolerance, cooperation, learning, and the amicable resolution of conflicts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-alito/our-country-as-a-whole-no-less-than-the-hastings-college-of-law/) [Samuel Alito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-alito/) > [...The Bill of Rights is a literal and absolute document. The First Amendment doesn't say you have a right to speak out unless the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-browne/the-bill-of-rights-is-a-literal-and-absolute-document-the-first/) [Harry Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-browne/) > [This is a great country and requires a good deal of all of us, so I can imagine nothing more important than for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/this-is-a-great-country-and-requires-a-good-deal-of-all-of-us-so-i/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Edelman diversified into public affairs in the late '60s with important programs for the Concorde SST, gaining landing rights at JFK Airport in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-edelman/edelman-diversified-into-public-affairs-in-the-late-60s-with/) [Richard Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-edelman/) > [“The masses, on admitting their own incapacity to govern themselves, have elected me as their head By doing so, they have clearly proclaimed their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/the-masses-on-admitting-their-own-incapacity-to-govern-themselves/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Politics: A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/politics-a-strife-of-interests-masquerading-as-a-contest-of/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [When we speak freely, let us speak plainly, for plain speech is wholesome; especially, plain speech about public affairs and public men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/when-we-speak-freely-let-us-speak-plainly-for-plain-speech-is/) [Albert J. 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Love of country must spring from willing hearts and free minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/words-uttered-under-coercion-are-proof-of-loyalty-to-nothing-but-self/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [In my view, far from deserving condemnation for their courageous reporting, the New York Times, the Washington Post and other newspapers should be commended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/in-my-view-far-from-deserving-condemnation-for-their-courageous/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [Loyalty must arise spontaneously from the hearts of people who love their country and respect their government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/loyalty-must-arise-spontaneously-from-the-hearts-of-people-who-love/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [The word 'security' is a broad, vague generality whose contours should not be invoked to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/the-word-security-is-a-broad-vague-generality-whose-contours-should/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/among-religions-in-this-country-which-do-not-teach-what-would/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) > [That Amendment requires the state to be a neutral in its relations with groups of religious believers and nonbelievers; it does not require the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-black/that-amendment-requires-the-state-to-be-a-neutral-in-its-relations/) [Hugo Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) [Explore all 66 Hugo Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-black/) ## More Affair quotes > [Histories never conclude; they just pause their prose. 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