A quotation from Madeleine L'Engle

I am very wary of those individuals who are neither writers nor editors nor even, in some cases, readers, who feel that they have the right to apply their own moral criteria to the books in public and school libraries. I have enormous respect and admiration and love for the librarians who are rising up to protest this, because they are putting their very jobs on the line.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918-2007) American writer
Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

More about this quote: wist.info/lengle-madeleine/831…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #madeleinelengle #bookbanning #books #censorship #communitystandards #control #freedomofthought #intellectualfreedom #librarian #library #moralcode #power #suppression

L'Engle, Madeleine - Speech (1983-11-16), "Dare To Be Creative," Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC | WIST Quotations

I am very wary of those individuals who are neither writers nor editors nor even, in some cases, readers, who feel that they have the right to apply their own moral criteria to the books in public and school libraries. I have enormous respect and admiration and love for the…

WIST Quotations

A quotation from Henry Commager

A nation which, in the name of loyalty or of patriotism or of a sincere and high-sounding idea, discourages criticism and dissent, and puts a premium on acquiescence and conformity, is headed for disaster.

Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998) American historian, writer, activist
Essay (1949-11-05), “What Ideas Are Safe?” Saturday Review

More about this quote: wist.info/commager-henry-steel…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #commager #henrycommager #acquiescence #conformity #control #dissent #freespeech #freedomofspeech #freedomofthought #heterodoxy #intolerance #loyalty #orthodoxy #patriotism #security #intellectualfreedom

A quotation from Henry Commager

We cannot have a society half slave and half free; nor can we have thought half slave and half free. If we create an atmosphere in which men fear to think independently, inquire fearlessly, express themselves freely, we will in the end create the kind of society in which men no longer care to think independently or to inquire fearlessly.

Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998) American historian, writer, activist
Essay (1949-11-05), “What Ideas Are Safe?” Saturday Review

More about this quote: wist.info/commager-henry-steel…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #henrycommager #fear #freeexpression #freedomofspeech #freedomofthought #freethinking #independence #inquiry #intellectualfreedom #oppression #questioning #thoughtcontrol

A quotation from Adlai Stevenson

And the freedom of the mind, my friends, has served America well. The vigor of our political life, our capacity for change, our cultural, scientific, and industrial achievements, all derive from free inquiry, from the free mind — from the imagination, resourcefulness, and daring of men who are not afraid of new ideas. Most all of us favor free enterprise for business. Let us also favor free enterprise for the mind. For, in the last analysis, we would fight to the death to protect it.

Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) American diplomat, statesman
Speech (1952-08-27), “The Nature of Patriotism,” American Legion Convention, Madison Square Garden, New York City

More about this quote: wist.info/stevenson-adlai-ewin…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #adlaistevenson #America #freeenterprise #freethought #freedom #freedomofthought #ideas #imagination #inquiry #marketplaceofideas

Stevenson, Adlai - Speech (1952-08-27), "The Nature of Patriotism," American Legion Convention, Madison Square Garden, New York City | WIST Quotations

And the freedom of the mind, my friends, has served America well. The vigor of our political life, our capacity for change, our cultural, scientific, and industrial achievements, all derive from free inquiry, from the free mind -- from the imagination, resourcefulness, and daring of men who are not afraid…

WIST Quotations

A quotation from William Drummond

He, who will not reason, is a bigot; he, who cannot, is a fool; and he, who dares not, is a slave.

William Drummond of Logie-Almond (1770-1828) Scottish classical scholar, philosopher, diplomat, politician
Academical Questions, Preface (1805)

More about this quote: wist.info/drummond-william/273…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #williamdrummond #freethought #freedomofthought #meme #mindcontrol #reason #reasonability #reasoning #slavery #thinking #thought #tyranny #unreasoning

A quotation from Adlai Stevenson

The anatomy of patriotism is complex. But surely intolerance and public irresponsibility cannot be cloaked in the shining armor of rectitude and righteousness. Nor can the denial of the right to hold ideas that are different — the freedom of man to think as he pleases. To strike freedom of the mind with the fist of patriotism is an old and ugly subtlety.

Adlai Stevenson (1900-1965) American diplomat, statesman
Speech (1952-08-27), “The Nature of Patriotism,” American Legion Convention, Madison Square Garden, New York City

More about this quote: wist.info/stevenson-adlai-ewin…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #adlaistevenson #prejudice #liberty #freethought #freedomofthought #ideas #intolerance #irresponsibility #opinions #patriotism

Stevenson, Adlai - Speech (1952-08-27), "The Nature of Patriotism," American Legion Convention, Madison Square Garden, New York City | WIST Quotations

The anatomy of patriotism is complex. But surely intolerance and public irresponsibility cannot be cloaked in the shining armor of rectitude and righteousness. Nor can the denial of the right to hold ideas that are different -- the freedom of man to think as he pleases. To strike freedom of…

WIST Quotations

Happy Republic Day 🇮🇳

Questioning is patriotism.
Not loud. Just unafraid.

Today, we honour the Constitution not just by celebration,
but by conscience, courage, and clarity of thought.
.
.
.

#republicday #indianrepublic #constitutionofindia #questioningIspatriotism #dissentIspatriotic #freedomofthought
#silentstrength #thinkingcitizen #socialmedia

A quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt

In the democracies of the world, the passion for freedom of speech and of thought is always accentuated when there is an effort anywhere to keep ideas away from people and to prevent them from making their own decisions. One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to keep them from education and thus make it impossible for them to understand what is going on in the world as a whole. […] The second way of enslaving a people is to suppress the sources of information, not only by burning books, but by controlling all the other ways in which ideas are transmitted.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) First Lady of the US (1933-45), politician, diplomat, activist
Column (1943-05-11), “My Day”

More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-eleanor/81…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #eleanorroosevelt #bookburning #education #freepress #freespeech #freedomofexpression #freedomofspeech #freedomofthepress #freedomofthought #information #media #oppression #thoughtcontrol #tyranny #understanding

Roosevelt, Eleanor - Column (1943-05-11), "My Day" | WIST Quotations

In the democracies of the world, the passion for freedom of speech and of thought is always accentuated when there is an effort anywhere to keep ideas away from people and to prevent them from making their own decisions. One of the best ways of enslaving a people is to…

WIST Quotations
"Putin is pushing to move Russians to what Moscow calls a 'sovereign internet,' an online world cut off from Western technology and other foreign influences that is more susceptible to government censorship and control":
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/world/europe/russia-max-app.html
#FreedomOfSpeech & #FreedomOfThought are disappearing from #Russia.
#politics #tech #SocialMedia
Russia Pushes a State-Controlled ‘Super App’ by Sabotaging Its Rivals

As the Kremlin throttles WhatsApp and Telegram, the new MAX messaging app is moving Russia closer to a restricted internet without foreign technology.

The New York Times