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unhinged
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to the chicago civil liberties committee in 1940
'there are many times when even though there is freedom of the press and freedom of speech, it is hard to get a hearing for certain noble causes. i often think that we, all of us, should think very much more carefully than we do about what we mean by freedom of speech, by freedom of the press, by freedom of assembly. i sometimes am much worried by the tendency that exists among certain groups in our country today to consider that these rights are only for people who think as they do, that they are not rights for the people who disagree with them. i believe that you must apply to all groups the same rights, to all forms of thought, to all forms of expression, the same liberties. otherwise, you practically deny the fact that you trust people to choose for themselves, in a majority, what is wise and what is right. and when you do that, you deny the possibility of having a democracy. you have got to be willing to listen, to allow people to state any point of view they may have (!!!) or to say anything they may believe, and then to trust that, when everyone has had his say, when there has been free discussion and really free, uninfluenced expression in the press, in the end the majority of the people will have the wisdom to decide what is right. we have got to have faith, even when the majority decides wrongly. (!!!!!!!!) we must still hold to the fundamental principles that we have laid down and wait for the day to come when the thing that we believe is right becomes the majority way of the people.' - eleanor roosevelt
amen eleanor
AMEN
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180905
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