"There are some circumstances in which the First Amendment interest comes up against another interest that is really important and in which we have to make a decision in a particular case as to which is more important."

Choice

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Choice as articulated by Floyd Abrams. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Choice provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About Floyd Abrams

Floyd Abrams is an American lawyer. A member of Cahill Gordon & Reindel since 1963 and currently senior counsel. He has argued 13 First Amendment cases in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, more than any other attorney. Abrams was co-counsel to The New York Times in the 1971 Pentagon Papers case, and represented Judith Miller in the CIA leak grand jury investigation, Standard & Poor's, and Lorillard Tobacco Company among others. He also represented Senator Mitch McConnell in the Citizens United 2010 Supreme Court case. Two of Abrams' clients had been on death row for crimes, and their convictions were overruled by the Supreme Court. A documentary was released about him in 2023 called Speaking Freely.

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More by Floyd Abrams

"It just seems to be a human trait to want to protect the speech of people with whom we agree. For the First Amendment, that is not good enough. So it is really important that we protect First Amendment rights of people no matter what side of the line they are on."

— Floyd Abrams
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"I would say that the Pentagon Papers case of 1971 - in which the government tried to block the The New York Times and The Washington Post that they obtained from a secret study of how we got involved in the war in Vietnam - that is probably the most important case."

— Floyd Abrams
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"I think that it is important for people to understand that whether a good-guy or a bad-guy wins a case is less important than what the law is that the case results in."

— Floyd Abrams
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"It has something to do with the facts and the law and who the judges are. So I think lawyers sometimes exaggerate their role in winning and losing. Lawyers do have a role, and a major role, but they're not the only players in this game."

— Floyd Abrams
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More about Choice

"It is a timeless truth that bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts."

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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"People don't realize what a brilliant politician Lincoln was. Looking back, we want to ascribe a level of providence to his every decision but he was a cunning and calculating politician; from the cultivation of his image as a hayseed from Illinois, to his ability to keep this country together under dire circumstances."

— Henry Louis Gates
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"It is a subtle truth that bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts — an essential principle for the reflective life."

— Donald Barthelme
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"I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary."

— Elon Musk
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