(W)e do not count heads before enforcing the First Amendment.
SANDRA DAY O'CONNORIf parents instill a sense of civic-mindedness – and there is no better way to do that than by example – their children will probably follow.
More Sandra Day O'Connor Quotes
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I’m not on the court anymore, so no use looking for my philosophy. If somebody’s waiting for that, they can wait for another justice.
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The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy.
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I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer’s disease, and to stand by and watch him decline in his ability to take care of himself.
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I have always thought that while it’s wonderful to be the first to do something, you don’t want to be the last.
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Unfortunately civility is hard to codify or legislate, but you know it when you see it. It’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable.
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We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation.
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If I stumbled badly in doing the job, I think it would have made life more difficult for women, and that was a great concern of mine and still is.
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The unhappy persistence of both the practice and the lingering effects of racial discrimination …is an unfortunate reality…and the government is not disqualified from acting in response to it.
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Liberty finds no refuge in a jurisprudence of doubt.
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We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.
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Historically courts in this country have been insulated. We do not look beyond our borders for precedents.
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I’m a judge. It seemed to me that it was critical to try to take action to stem the criticism and help people understand that in the constitutional framework, it’s terribly important not to have a system of retaliation against decisions people don’t like.
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How dare you make my life a felony.
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I like to think that the court will continue to be held in high regard by the public. I think it should be.
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Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.
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