Accommodations Quote by Strom Thurmond
“By its attempt to regulate and govern the private businesses, which are miscalled public accommodations in the bill, this proposal would inject the Government into the most sensitive areas of human contractual relations-agreements for personal services. In so doing, constitutional interpretations of long standing are being swept aside in favor of tortuous rationalizations which studiously ignore the constitutionally-forbidden imposition of involuntary servitude on citizens”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Congressional Record, 1960s, United States Senate
The proposal seeks to let the government control private businesses labeled as public accommodations, overriding traditional constitutional limits and risking involuntary servitude.
In simple terms: Government would control private services, ignoring long‑standing constitutional limits.
Key Takeaway
Beware of expanding state power into personal contracts.
Themes
government
law
civil liberties
business
individual rights
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
political
legal
historical
When to use this quote
- legislative drafting
- court challenges
- business compliance
- citizen advocacy
Key Concepts
constitutional law
public accommodations
involuntary servitude
Questions to Reflect On
- Is government regulation justified when it intrudes on private contracts?
- How can we balance public interest with individual liberty?
A Different Perspective
May conflict with the Constitution’s prohibition on involuntary servitude.
