"'It's a free country--I can say whatever I want!' Most Americans agree about the importance of free speech. But many don't understand the scope and limitations of this treasured liberty. Learn about the history, complexities, and conflicts related to free speech rights, from flag-burning to the treatment of hate speech"--Back cover.

"From the longtime New York Times reporter, best-selling author, and Pulitzer Prize winner-- an expansive, timely assessment of the state of free speech in America. David Shipler's recent best seller, The Working Poor, cemented his place among our most trenchant social commentators. Now, he turns his keen, illuminating focus to another endangered American ideal: freedom of speech. Through selected accounts of First Amendment invocation and infringement,...

"Fear has a complicated role in the history of First Amendment rights for American citizens. The First Amendment and the Bill of Rights were written as responses to our collective fear that the government may become too involved in regulating our lives. Yet, a whole host of fears may motivate calls to restrict these First Amendment rights, prioritizing one fear over another. In Fear and the First Amendment, Kevin A. Johnson and Craig R. Smith unveil...

"This book places the current attacks on the right of free speech in their proper historical, legal, and political context. The United States was born in an age of rage and for 250 years we have periodically lost sight of the value of free expression. The history of the struggle for free speech is the story of extraordinary people--nonconformists who refuse to yield to abusive authority--and here is a mosaic of vivid characters and controversies....

"Religion is our most personal freedom. It's the first thing the Bill of Rights guarantees all Americans and the last thing we'd think the government could take away. Between wedding cakes and travel bans, public schools, and private employers, the role of faith in public life is constantly in the news. Americans of many different faiths, for many different reasons, are worried the government is going to interfere with their freedom to believe. Could...

This book details the rich history and growth of the First Amendment in public schools, from the early nineteenth-century's failed student free-expression claims, to the development of protection for students by the U.S. Supreme Court. The author brings this history alive by drawing from interviews with key student litigants in famous cases, including John Tinker of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District and Joe Frederick of the 'Bong Hits...

Examines what caused the First Amendment to be born and what effects the amendment has had throughout history and today.

"Fearless Speech emphasizes the distinction between what speech a democratic society should protect and what speech a democratic society should promote. The First Amendment has been legally deployed most visibly and effectively to promote powerful antidemocratic interests: misogyny, racism, religious zealotry, and corporate self-interest, in other words, reckless speech. Franks argues we need to focus on fearless speech--speakers who have called out...