--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I speak to students, I tell them why…" description: "\"When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First Amendment. I tell them about the Committees of Correspondence. I tell them how in a secret me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg" --- # When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First… ![“When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First Amendment. I tell them about the Committees of Correspondence. I tell them how in a secret meeting of the Raleigh Tavern in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, who did not agree with each other, started a Committee of…” quote by Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg) > “When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First Amendment. I tell them about the Committees of Correspondence. I tell them how in a secret meeting of the Raleigh Tavern in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, who did not agree with each other, started a Committee of Correspondence.” [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching history through vivid stories helps students grasp the purpose of free speech and civic engagement. **In simple terms:** Storytelling makes constitutional ideas clear. Key Takeaway Use narratives to teach civic values. Themes education history free speech citizenship dialogue Mood educational engaging Type didactic inspirational When to use this quote - high school civics - college seminars - public workshops Key Concepts constitutional law public discourse historical precedent Questions to Reflect On - How can you connect past debates to today’s issues? - What stories best illustrate the power of free speech? A Different Perspective Students may find historical details abstract without relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amendments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amendments/) [Correspondence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/correspondence/) [First amendment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-amendment/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raleigh/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Taverns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taverns/) [Virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia/) ## Related quotes > [“All I want is to cultivate curiosity. Yes, my old friend remains undiminished even now: the simple yearning to know. If these students cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kiernan/all-i-want-is-to-cultivate-curiosity-yes-my-old-friend-remains/) Stephen Kiernan > [“And as for those high school students who tell me they would rather be a cat than an MD because they prefer to deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-trout/and-as-for-those-high-school-students-who-tell-me-they-would-rather/) [Nick Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-trout/) > [One of the things I miss about teaching is that students would tell me what I ought to read. One of my students, back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/one-of-the-things-i-miss-about-teaching-is-that-students-would-tell/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [“When I stand in front of my students and tell my students to never give up their passion to chase dreams in life, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/when-i-stand-in-front-of-my-students-and-tell-my-students-to-never/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [I believe that everyone has a story, and it is important that we encourage all students to tell theirs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-gruwell/i-believe-that-everyone-has-a-story-and-it-is-important-that-we/) [Erin Gruwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-gruwell/) > [“schools and teacher forbites the students to tell a lie, but they teach them lies,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zybejta-beta-metani-marashi-3/schools-and-teacher-forbites-the-students-to-tell-a-lie-but-they/) [Zybejta Beta Metani' Marashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zybejta-beta-metani-marashi-3/) > [Death was Patrick Henry's second choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wavy-gravy/death-was-patrick-henry-s-second-choice/) [Wavy Gravy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wavy-gravy/) > [“For the average civilized person to whom, as to Patrick Henry, even death is acceptable in the absence of liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-mangahas/for-the-average-civilized-person-to-whom-as-to-patrick-henry-even/) Federico Mangahas > [Give me liberty or give me death.' A human named Patrick Henry said that. I wonder if the Yeerks knew before they came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-me-liberty-or-give-me-death-a-human-named-patrick-henry-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There will never be rebellion here. In Richmond and Williamsburg there has been talk. Jefferson isn’t reliable and Patrick Henry is a born troublemaker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/there-will-never-be-rebellion-here-in-richmond-and-williamsburg-there/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goodwin/the-constitution-is-not-an-instrument-for-the-government-to-restrain/) [Mark Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goodwin/) > [A revolution was never fought, throughout history, for ideals. Revolutions were fought for much more concrete things: food, clothes, housing, and to relieve intolerable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-powell/a-revolution-was-never-fought-throughout-history-for-ideals/) [William Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-powell/) > [Patrick Henry did not say, 'Give me absolutely safety or give me death.' America is supposed to be about freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stossel/patrick-henry-did-not-say-give-me-absolutely-safety-or-give-me-death/) [John Stossel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stossel/) > [You don't disarm any white community by confining yourself to any particular method. If you want freedom, then you should get freedom like Patrick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/you-don-t-disarm-any-white-community-by-confining-yourself-to-any/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/american-patriot-patrick-henry/besides-sir-we-shall-not-fight-our-battles-alone-there-is-a-just-god/) American Patriot Patrick Henry ## More by Nat Hentoff > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [There are enough people who are starting to be actively involved that we can turn things around. And we need to encourage others to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/there-are-enough-people-who-are-starting-to-be-actively-involved-that/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ \[Margot Hentoff\] thinks - first of all, she - this I hear from a lot of people beside her. She thinks that men have… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/margot-hentoff-thinks-first-of-all-she-this-i-hear-from-a-lot-of/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [My father was pretty independent. He was - he was arrested once in Nashville when he was on one of his sales trips because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-father-was-pretty-independent-he-was-he-was-arrested-once-in/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ My chronology is terrible. \[Work with William Shawn\] must have some ago. It was after he was fired by Newhouse. After New - when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-chronology-is-terrible-work-with-william-shawn-must-have-some-ago/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ We disagree heavily on abortion \[with Margot Hentoff\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/we-disagree-heavily-on-abortion-with-margot-hentoff/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [Now that is dangerous, when the people don't know what's happening to their Constitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/now-that-is-dangerous-when-the-people-don-t-know-what-s-happening-to/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ \[My wife Margot\] was the - I guess, the coordinator or the production manager \[of The Jazz Review\], and we got to know each… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-wife-margot-was-the-i-guess-the-coordinator-or-the-production/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [The book that really, really shaped my politics and has forever is Arthur Koestler's "Darkness at Noon," which is a novel based on terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/the-book-that-really-really-shaped-my-politics-and-has-forever-is/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I have I guess 3 passions. One is the Constitution. The other is jazz and the other is being an atheist prolifer which, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/i-have-i-guess-3-passions-one-is-the-constitution-the-other-is-jazz/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [If the American people have their health care paid for by the government, depending on their age and their condition, they will be subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/if-the-american-people-have-their-health-care-paid-for-by-the/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ \[A.J. Muste\] was - he - I don't know what he finally came out believing in, but it was some kind of higher being. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/a-j-muste-was-he-i-don-t-know-what-he-finally-came-out-believing-in/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [That is what is happening with the Tea Parties. I wrote a column called "The Second American Revolution" about the fact that people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/that-is-what-is-happening-with-the-tea-parties-i-wrote-a-column/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I read like everybody - like every other writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/i-read-like-everybody-like-every-other-writer/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [ Margot \[Hentoff\] dislikes Bill Clinton because he's totally untrustworthy, and you really ought to have some faith in whoever's going to be your president. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/margot-hentoff-dislikes-bill-clinton-because-he-s-totally/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) [Explore all 222 Nat Hentoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First Amendment. I tell them about the Committees of Correspondence. I tell them how in a secret meeting of the Raleigh Tavern in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, who did not agree with each other, started a Committee of Correspondence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nat Hentoff" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why-we-have-a-first-amendment-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why-we-have-a-first-amendment-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50e/nat-hentoff-1615_agree_when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why_2103191.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I speak to students, I tell them why we have a First Amendment. I tell them about the Committees of…” — Nat Hentoff", "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": "Nat Hentoff", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I speak to students, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why-we-have-a-first-amendment-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/when-i-speak-to-students-i-tell-them-why-we-have-a-first-amendment-i/#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 } } ] } ```