"The dominant purpose of the First Amendment
was to prohibit the widespread practice
of government suppression of embarrassing information."
by:
Justice William O. Douglas
(1898-1980), U. S. Supreme Court Justice
Source:
New York Times v. Unites States (Pentagon Papers)
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Ben, Orem, UT 
Let's see now, nobody in the White House seemed to know anything about Air force One flying low over New York City. Tell me why Janet and "O" had no idea where Air Force One was , and why it was needed in a photo op. Can this bunch find there way to work without help.
 -- jim k, austin		 
Embarrassing information...you mean like selling out to corporate and private banking interests? Representing them instead of the people? No wait! That's criminal information...
 -- J Carlton, Calgary		 
An extremely good purpose.
 -- Mike, Norwalk		 
The Pentagon Papers contained sensitive and national security related information.the release of which was a great detriment to this country' s image. Much was grist in the propaganda mill used by foreign countries to denigrate the overseas policies of the United States. I doubt the Foundling Fathers intended the First to jeopardize this country's security. .
 -- Edward R. Ettner, Mason Neck		 
Edward, why does an independent sovereign republic need "overseas policies"? Maybe the country became insecure (made enemies) as a result of these policies? Just a thought.
 -- J Carlton, Calgary		 
And the dominant purpose of the 2nd Amendment was to protect the 1st Amendment and all the rest, too! The 1st Amendment is the right to be a fool ;-) and acknowledges that there is no way to legislate away foolishness, so the Congress is prohibited from doing so (as they are as foolish as the rest of us). Talk, talk, talk -- but today, if you act, then you have crossed the line... The same people that own the media own the government, too, and propaganda in America is alive and thriving.
 -- E Archer, NYC		 
It is the media's job-nay, duty- to expose those embarrassments. Unfortunately, the majority of our media have decided to abandon that duty by failing to remain "objective". Yet there is still enough conscientious media that those embarrassments do eventually leak out, thanks to that marvelous first amendment. And to J. Carlton, we aren't in this world alone. We must choose those countries with whom we will work and those against whom we will work, based on the best interests of our own country. Nothing we could do would make everyone in the world love us. To believe otherwise is naive. Isolation is no protection-they know we're here.
 -- empty pockets, Albuquerque		 
 
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