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Free Speech

Freedom of the Press and Criminal Solicitation

Geoffrey R. Stone | Posted 05.21.2013 | Politics
Geoffrey R. Stone

Striking the right balance between the government's legitimate need for confidentiality, the press's legitimate need to obtain information about government action, and the public's "right to know" what its representatives are up to, is a difficult and delicate task.

Trial Date Set For Man Accused Of Threatening State Representative

Posted 05.21.2013 | Denver

The trial date for the Colorado Springs man who was arrested in March and charged with threatening a Colorado State Representative has been set. A...

Hanging Out at the Playboy Mansion While Colonel Davis Waits for Justice

Peter Van Buren | Posted 05.15.2013 | Politics
Peter Van Buren

The Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards were established in 1979 to honor individuals who make significant contributions to protect First Amendment rights for Americans.

From Lolita to Louis CK, Feds Ban Sex Speech on Campus

Will Creeley | Posted 05.14.2013 | College
Will Creeley

If anybody on campus can file a sexual harassment claim any time they're offended by sex-related speech, just about anything will qualify as sexual harassment.

The Impending Final Nail in the Coffin of Honduran Democracy

Marco CƔceres | Posted 05.10.2013 | World
Marco CƔceres

In hindsight, the severity of what Mr. Zelaya actually did to merit a coup has a tendency to grow less and less convincing, particularly when you measure it by the severity of what the National Congress has done to destroy Honduran democracy since December 12, 2012.

Why You Should Care About The Safety of Journalists

Tricia Todd | Posted 04.30.2013 | World
Tricia Todd

If no story is worth a life, then why is murder the number one cause of journalists' deaths worldwide? In addition to those who have been killed, dozens have been attacked, kidnapped, or forced into exile in connection with their coverage of crime and corruption.

The Supreme Court Should Overturn the Anti-Prostitution Pledge Requirement

Elizabeth Gavin | Posted 04.25.2013 | Politics
Elizabeth Gavin

The Supreme Court should overturn the anti-prostitution pledge because, in addition to curtailing HIV/AIDS programs, it violates the First Amendment.

Have We Learned Nothing From 9-11?

Daryl Rowland | Posted 04.22.2013 | Politics
Daryl Rowland

Following the horrific events at the Boston Marathon, Facebook posts revealed an additional horror: many posters were once again willing to abandon civil protections and principles in a vain effort to stop all terrorism.

University Of Buffalo Professor Arrested For Profanity Use Against Student Pro-Life Display

The Huffington Post | Will Wrigley | Posted 04.17.2013 | Politics

A University at Buffalo professor was arrested after unleashing a profanity-laced tirade over a pro-life display on the university's campus, according...

Harvard and How Silence Isn't Golden

Greg Lukianoff | Posted 04.12.2013 | College
Greg Lukianoff

When we refuse to even have conversations on divisive issues, we help create a culture that fosters silence instead of exploration and innovation. New ideas cannot flourish and progress cannot be made in a society that fears talking it out.

Shell's Plot to Take Away Your First Amendment Rights

Philip Radford | Posted 04.12.2013 | Green
Philip Radford

Shell Oil's legal team is currently working overtime to keep the company's Arctic work secret from advocacy groups like Greenpeace. It's a battle that will have implications well beyond the Far North.

Romney, Paul Among Those Receiving Dubious Honors

AP | STEVE SZKOTAK | Posted 04.11.2013 | Politics

RICHMOND, Va. -- Idaho regulators who banned the sale of Five Wives Vodka out of fear of offending tee-totaling Mormons and a Missouri legislator who ...

We Beat Chevron, but the Fight for Real Justice Continues

Paul Paz y MiƱo | Posted 04.08.2013 | Green
Paul Paz y MiƱo

We did preserve our ability to exercise our right to free speech and to be a watchdog against corporate crimes. That right is vital to protect the power of the people in our society. We will exercise that right until we do win the things Amazonian communities in Ecuador need most.

Family Research Council Defends Republican's Outdated Propaganda Against LGBT Community

Alvin McEwen | Posted 04.06.2013 | Gay Voices
Alvin McEwen

For the record, Dave Agema was not debating. He was spreading lies and distortions derived from bad sources. With free speech comes responsibilities and the main responsibility is the hope that one doesn't use his or her free speech to spread lies and deceptions.

Emily Bazelon and the Danger of Bringing "Anti-Bullying" Laws to Campus

Greg Lukianoff | Posted 04.03.2013 | College
Greg Lukianoff

As the moral panic about bullying moves beyond grade school and into our nation's universities, it poses a serious threat to constitutionally protected speech.

Michelle Shocked, This Is What It Truly Means To Be Silenced By Fear

Jackie Gardina | Posted 04.02.2013 | Gay Voices
Jackie Gardina

LGBT people wear invisible duct tape over our mouths every day -- not as a publicity stunt but as a mode a survival. We remain silent to avoid personal and familial rejection, to keep our jobs and our homes and to protect our physical safety. Our fear is real.

An Easter Message For Muslims

Joseph Loconte, Ph.D. | Posted 03.28.2013 | Religion
Joseph Loconte, Ph.D.

One of the great themes of the Christian Easter story is that the love of God can overcome the worst of human folly, wickedness and weakness. This idea, if taken seriously, would be a tonic in many parts of the world today, but perhaps nowhere is it more desperately needed than in the Muslim world.

Word Play: Rick Ross, Steubenville Rape Case and the Power of Words

Antonio Moore | Posted 03.27.2013 | Entertainment
Antonio Moore

Though there is no direct evidence of correlation to Steubenville, Rick Ross' lyric insinuates a drugging of a woman in a fashion where it can lead the listener to believe the reference is to that of date rape.

Matt Sledge

Is Your Cell Phone Protected By The First Amendment?

HuffingtonPost.com | Matt Sledge | Posted 03.22.2013 | Politics

NEW YORK -- If a San Francisco man wins a lawsuit filed Wednesday, keeping your cell phone conversations private could could become a First Amendment ...

Online Threats Against Women Aren't Trivial and Don't Happen in a Vacuum

Soraya Chemaly | Posted 05.22.2013 | Technology
Soraya Chemaly

Threats like this are not harmless expressions of free speech. They're akin to hate speech and are maliciously intended to intimidate and silence. Messages like this don't make women feel safe. And that's the point, isn't it -- to make sure our gendered safety gap stays constant.

Corporate Personhood in the Fast Lane: Jonathan Frieman, Citizen, Takes a Stand

Russ Baker | Posted 05.21.2013 | Politics
Russ Baker

What's the significance of "corporate personhood"? This bizarre concept makes it infinitely more difficult to prosecute individual corporate wrongdoers and makes it possible for corporations to continue to dominate American politics and election spending by invoking constitutional protections intended for "real" persons.

Deliberative Democracy Outreasons Enlightened Dictatorship

David Moshman | Posted 05.15.2013 | Politics
David Moshman

A recently published study compared tiny democracies to tiny dictatorships. The democracies, on average, were more rational.

Principle vs. Privilege Of Free Speech

Harris Zafar | Posted 05.08.2013 | Religion
Harris Zafar

Opponents of Islam claim it denies freedom of speech and censors those who insult Islam. This is factually incorrect. After all, the Prophet Muhammad called differences of opinion a blessing in society and never sought to censor or threaten those who verbally attacked him.

Freedom of Speech at Stake in Indiana

Dan Bimrose | Posted 05.05.2013 | Politics
Dan Bimrose

What do the far right conservative group Eagle Forum and the ACLU of Indiana have in common? They are part of a collection of groups and individuals filing briefs on behalf of Daniel Brewington.

Holy Sex! What Do You Hold Holy?

Crystal Syben Haidl | Posted 05.04.2013 | Religion
Crystal Syben Haidl

Sex, religion and politics are eternally entwined bed fellows. No matter how you might want to clothe it, your sexual beliefs and lifestyle are sourced from and impacted by the long traditions and policies within this indivisible trinity.