--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These examples and many others…" description: "\"“These examples and many others demonstrate an alarming trend whereby the privacy and dignity of our citizens is being whittled away by sometimes imper..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/william-o-douglas-2931_civil-rights_these-examples-and-many-others-demonstra_2671855.jpg" --- # These examples and many others demonstrate an alarming… ![“These examples and many others demonstrate an alarming trend whereby the privacy and dignity of our citizens is being whittled away by sometimes imperceptible steps. Taken individually, each step may be of little consequence. But when viewed as a whole, there begins to emerge a society quite…” quote by William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/william-o-douglas-2931_civil-rights_these-examples-and-many-others-demonstra_2671855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/william-o-douglas-2931_civil-rights_these-examples-and-many-others-demonstra_2671855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d93/william-o-douglas-2931_civil-rights_these-examples-and-many-others-demonstra_2671855.jpg) > ““These examples and many others demonstrate an alarming trend whereby the privacy and dignity of our citizens is being whittled away by sometimes imperceptible steps. Taken individually, each step may be of little consequence. But when viewed as a whole, there begins to emerge a society quite unlike any we have seen -- a society in which government may intrude into the secret regions of man's life at will." \[ Osborn v. United States , 385 U.S. 323, 343 (1966) (dissenting)\]”” [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gradual erosion of privacy through small, often unnoticed governmental actions can accumulate into pervasive intrusion. **In simple terms:** Small privacy losses add up to big threats. Key Takeaway Guard privacy rights vigilantly. Themes privacy government society rights surveillance Mood cautious concerned Type legal political When to use this quote - legislation drafting - public policy - personal data protection - civil activism Key Concepts civil liberties incremental erosion state power Questions to Reflect On - How do we detect subtle privacy threats? - What safeguards can prevent cumulative loss? A Different Perspective Even minor intrusions can normalize larger violations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Man's Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mans-life/) [Privacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privacy/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [ The privacy and dignity of our citizens \[are\] being whittled away by sometimes imperceptible steps. Taken individually, each step may be of little consequence.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-privacy-and-dignity-of-our-citizens-are-being-whittled-away-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's not proper for the government to intrude too thoroughly into the domain of the family. It's inappropriate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-peterson/it-s-not-proper-for-the-government-to-intrude-too-thoroughly-into-the/) [Jordan Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-peterson/) > [“The only hope for social networking sites from a business point of view is for a magic formula to appear in which some method…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/the-only-hope-for-social-networking-sites-from-a-business-point-of/) [Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/) > [“We are rapidly entering the age of no privacy, where everyone is open to surveillance at all times; where there are no secrets from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/we-are-rapidly-entering-the-age-of-no-privacy-where-everyone-is-open-2/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [“Big Brother in the form of an increasingly powerful government and in an increasingly powerful private sector will pile the records high with reasons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/big-brother-in-the-form-of-an-increasingly-powerful-government-and-in-2/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Democracy to me is letting the other person speak and being dissenting without being disagreeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malachy-mccourt/democracy-to-me-is-letting-the-other-person-speak-and-being/) [Malachy McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malachy-mccourt/) > [Why the critics, like a flock of ducks, always move in perfect unison: Their authority with the public depends upon an appearance of unanimous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/why-the-critics-like-a-flock-of-ducks-always-move-in-perfect-unison/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [The modern progressive movement believes that dissenting language is objectionable, which then removes the brakes between anger and violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/the-modern-progressive-movement-believes-that-dissenting-language-is/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [Intolerance is natural and logical, for in every dissenting opinion lies an assumption of superior wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/intolerance-is-natural-and-logical-for-in-every-dissenting-opinion/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Having a dissenting opinion on movies, music, or clothes, or owning clever or obscure possessions, is the way middle-class people fight one another for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mcraney/having-a-dissenting-opinion-on-movies-music-or-clothes-or-owning/) [David McRaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mcraney/) > [A dissenting minority feels free only when it can impose its will on the majority: what it abominates most is the dissent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-dissenting-minority-feels-free-only-when-it-can-impose-its-will-on/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [My dissenting opinions, like my briefs, are intended to persuade. And sometimes one must be forceful about saying how wrong the Court's decision is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/my-dissenting-opinions-like-my-briefs-are-intended-to-persuade-and/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [We need dissenting opinions, and we need people who aren't afraid to share them. The Biden administration doesn't want this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-mast/we-need-dissenting-opinions-and-we-need-people-who-aren-t-afraid-to/) [Brian Mast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-mast/) > [Dissenting opinions are useful even when they're wrong. So instead of speaking to highly agreeable audiences, target suggestions to people with a history of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/dissenting-opinions-are-useful-even-when-they-re-wrong-so-instead-of/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) > [He's never quite got the trick of conversation, tending to hear in dissenting views, however mild, a kind of affront, an invitation to mortal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/he-s-never-quite-got-the-trick-of-conversation-tending-to-hear-in/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) ## More by William O. Douglas > [The First Amendment makes confidence in the common sense of our people and in the maturity of their judgement the great postulate of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-first-amendment-makes-confidence-in-the-common-sense-of-our/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Common sense often makes good law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/common-sense-often-makes-good-law/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Inanimate objects are sometimes parties to litigation. A ship has a legal personality, a fiction found useful for maritime purposes. The corporation sole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/inanimate-objects-are-sometimes-parties-to-litigation-a-ship-has-a/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Any test that turns on what is offensive to the community's standards is too loose, too capricious, too destructive of freedom of expression to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/any-test-that-turns-on-what-is-offensive-to-the-community-s-standards/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I've often thought that if planners were botanists, zoologists, geologists, and people who know about the earth, we would have much more wisdom in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-ve-often-thought-that-if-planners-were-botanists-zoologists/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [I have the same confidence in the ability of our people to reject noxious literature as I have in their capacity to sort out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/i-have-the-same-confidence-in-the-ability-of-our-people-to-reject/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The liberties of none are safe unless the liberties of all are protected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-liberties-of-none-are-safe-unless-the-liberties-of-all-are/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [A function of free speech under our system of government is to invite dispute. It may indeed best serve its high purpose when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/a-function-of-free-speech-under-our-system-of-government-is-to-invite/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [At the constitutional level where we work, 90 percent of any decision is emotional. The rational part of us supplies the reasons for supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/at-the-constitutional-level-where-we-work-90-percent-of-any-decision/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [To be whole and harmonious, man must also know the music of the beaches and the woods. He must find the thing of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/to-be-whole-and-harmonious-man-must-also-know-the-music-of-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [Sunlight is the best disinfectant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [We deal with a right of privacy older than the Bill of Rights-older than our political parties, older than our school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/we-deal-with-a-right-of-privacy-older-than-the-bill-of-rights-older/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [It is our attitude toward free thought and free expression that will determine our fate. There must be no limit on the range of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/it-is-our-attitude-toward-free-thought-and-free-expression-that-will/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [The interests of the corporation state are to convert all the riches of the earth into dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/the-interests-of-the-corporation-state-are-to-convert-all-the-riches/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) > [There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-o-douglas/there-have-always-been-grievances-and-youth-has-always-been-the/) [William O. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) [Explore all 145 William O. Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-o-douglas/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [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/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [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/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“These examples and many others demonstrate an alarming trend whereby the privacy and dignity of our citizens is being whittled away by sometimes imperceptible steps. 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