“The freedom to criticize judges and other public officials is necessary to a vibrant democracy. The problem comes when healthy criticism is replaced with more destructive intimidation and sanctions.”
Freedom
“It matters enormously to a successful democratic society like ours that we have three branches of government, each with some independence and some control over the other two. That's set out in the Constitution.”
GovernmentAll Quotes by Sandra Day O'Connor
“We pay a price when we deprive children of the exposure to the values, principles, and education they need to make them good citizens.”
Education“Despite the encouraging and wonderful gains and the changes for women which have occurred in my lifetime, there is still room to advance and to promote correction of the remaining deficiencies and imbalances.”
Women“We don't accomplish anything in this world alone... and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one's life and all the weavings of individual threads form one to another that creates something.”
Alone“Young women today often have very little appreciation for the real battles that took place to get women where they are today in this country. I don't know how much history young women today know about those battles.”
History“Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, may have the opportunity to earn respect, responsibility, advancement and remuneration based on ability.”
Respect“The Establishment Clause prohibits government from making adherence to a religion relevant in any way to a person's standing in the political community.”
Government“The more education a woman has, the wider the gap between men's and women's earnings for the same work.”
Education“Statutes authorizing unreasonable searches were the core concern of the framers of the 4th Amendment.”
History“It matters enormously to a successful democratic society like ours that we have three branches of government, each with some independence and some control over the other two. That's set out in the Constitution.”
Government“Each of us brings to our job, whatever it is, our lifetime of experience and our values.”
Experience“We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation.”
Government“Having family responsibilities and concerns just has to make you a more understanding person.”
Family“The No Child Left Behind Program was an incentive to the schools to get their kids up to snuff on math and science and reading.”
Science“Parents should continue to become more involved with their communities, and more involved in their children's education.”
Education“It is difficult to discern a serious threat to religious liberty from a room of silent, thoughtful schoolchildren.”
Politics“The framers of the Constitution were so clear in the federalist papers and elsewhere that they felt an independent judiciary was critical to the success of the nation.”
Success“In order to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, it is necessary that the path to leadership be visibly open to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity.”
Leadership“Most high courts in other nations do not have discretion, such as we enjoy, in selecting the cases that the high court reviews. Our court is virtually alone in the amount of discretion it has.”
Alone“My hope is that 10 years from now, after I've been across the street at work for a while, they'll all be glad they gave me that wonderful vote.”
Hope