freedom of speech

"A nonpartisan, unbiased look at the First Amendment and how it informs our daily lives, this book clearly explains the fundamentals of American politics to middle grade readers"--Provided by publisher.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution states that all people have the right to freedom of the speech and the press. This means citizens can speak, write, and publish freely. But there are limits to these rights. People continue to debate what types of speech are protected by the First Amendment. Freedom of Speech and the Press explores these rights, looking at how our understanding of these freedoms continues to change.

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that Congress "shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech or of the press." But what does that mean? In this easy-to-understand book, readers will learn more about the background and history of the First Amendment and its promises, including freedom of speech. They'll learn what that means-and doesn't mean-and more about common misconceptions about this important right. Accessible text dealing with real-life situations and graphics further explaining the details will draw in anyone interested in knowing about basic American rights.

"According to the American Library Association (ALA), there were more attempts to ban books in 2021 than at any time since the group began tracking three decades earlier. The latest, unprecedented wave of book banning is driven mainly by conservative parents and politicians, who are also behind extreme new censorship laws in many states that restrict what teachers and students can read and discuss in the classroom. Free speech defenders say the laws are a threat to intellectual freedom--and democracy itself"--.

". . . [argues] that First Amendment rights have often been curtailed in efforts to block progress, and that current measures to reduce hurtful language and to end hate speech could backfire on those who promote them. To those who see free speech as a threat to democracy, Finan offers . . . evidence from a long and sometimes challenging history of free speech in America to show how free speech has been essential to expanding democracy"--Provided by publisher.

"Often hailed as the "first freedom," free speech is the bedrock of democracy, the enemy of tyranny, and the gateway to enlightenment. Research reveals a strong correlation between freedom of speech and democracy, innovation, and advancements in human rights, as well as reductions in conflict, corruption, and discrimination. But for all its benefits, free speech remains a challenging, controversial, and often counterintuitive principle, easily subject to erosion in times of social and political upheaval. And today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, freedom of speech is now on the retreat. In Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama traces the long, contested history of a powerful idea, beginning with its origins in the intellectual ferment of classical Athens, where it enabled the development of the world's first democracy"--Provided by publisher.

A collection of articles selected from the New York Times about issues surrounding American journalism, including freedom of the press, censorship, bias, journalists, and more.

"This annotated document collection surveys the history and evolution of laws and attitudes regarding free speech and censorship in the United States, with a special emphasis on contemporary events and controversies related to the First Amendment"--Provided by publisher.

"Readers are given the tools to better understand what censorship is--both in the United States and in other countries--in order to develop an informed opinion about this timely topic"--Provided by publisher.

"The book expands [on the first edition] . . . to include more titles and more genres (such as graphic novels and nonfiction)"--Provided by publisher.