Zechariah Chafee Quotes

United States, Professor
December 7, 1885 – February, 8, 1957.

Zechariah Chafee, Jr. (December 7, 1885 – February 8, 1957), was an American professor of law, judicial philosopher and civil rights advocate. Defending freedom of speech, he was described by Senator Joseph McCarthy as "dangerous" to America. Legal scholar Richard Primus called Chafee "possibly the most important First Amendment scholar of the first half of the twentieth century."

Also known as Philosopher, Advocate

We have the right to swing our arm until it hits the other fellow's nose.

Zechariah Chafee
Each side takes the position of the man who was arrested for swinging his arms and hitting another in the nose, and asked the judge if he did not have a right to swing his arms in a free country. 'Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man's nose begins.

Zechariah Chafee
- Country
- Free
- Judge

You make men love their government and their country by giving them the kind of government and the kind of country that inspire respect and love; a country that is free and unafraid, that lets the discontented talk in order to learn the causes of their discontent and end those causes, that refuses to impel men to spy on their neighbors, that protects its citizens vigorously from harmful acts while it leaves the remedies for objectionable ideas to counter-argument and time.

Zechariah Chafee
- Men
- Country
- Wisdom
After all, if freedom of speech means anything, it means a willingness to stand and let people say things with which we disagree, and which do weary us considerably.

Zechariah Chafee
- People
- Freedom
Truth can be sifted out from falsehood only if the government is vigorously and consistently cross-examined, so that the fundamental issues of the struggle may be clearly defined

Zechariah Chafee
- May
- Truth
- Struggle
Speech should be fruitful as well as free.

Zechariah Chafee
- Free