Of all the civil liberties, free speech regularly captures the attention of citizens, government leaders, and the media alike. It is not hard to find individuals who have very strong feelings on the subject, and a quick survey of the news reveals
concerns over censorship, hate speech and public protest. All of these items fit neatly under the umbrella of the 1st
Amendment and free speech.
In this blog, we are going to consider the limits of free speech.
• Are you, like Justice Douglas or Black, an absolutist when it comes to protecting free speech? In other words, do
you believe that the government has no right to ban any speech?
• If you don't fall into this line of argumentation, where do you draw the line? What types of speech are you simply
unwilling to tolerate and would, if you could, empower the government to ban/punish?