The First Amendment
Presenter: Meg Mott
The First Amendment protects our most basic freedoms, none more important than freedom of speech. But what do we do about speech that threatens to destroy the social fabric? This presentation considers the constitutional arguments for and against hate speech codes and why the Supreme Court ruled against St. Paul's hate speech ordinance. If hate speech codes are unconstitutional, it falls on citizens to find other ways to counter hateful speech. We'll explore what capacities citizens need to preserve freedom and the social fabric. Could it be that persuasion and deliberation might be better strategies for all of us?
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