Issues - Political Speech

Can Cellphone Companies Censor Text Messages?
(October 24, 2007) - Verizon's blocking of a Naral/ Pro-Choice America message might be illegal if text messages, like phone calls, are covered by "common carrier" rules.

A Proposal to Police "Morality" in Domain Names
(August 24, 2007) - ICANN is considering a plan to ban any "generic top-level" domain names that "undermine religious, family or social values."

Supreme Court Carves Out a New Exception to Student Free Speech
(June 25, 2007) - The Court's decision in the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case draws a murky line between advocacy of illegal conduct (not protected) and political dissent (protected - at least sometimes).

The Campaign Finance Page
(April 27, 2007) - FEPP's roadmap to the intricacies of the McCain-Feingold law, the 2003 Supreme Court decision upholding it, the later challenge brought by Wisconsin Right to Life, and the stakes for free speech and democracy.

Secrecy and Freedom
(April 10, 2007) - The government tries to airbrush history when it demands recantation of torture allegations in exchange for a Guantanamo prisoner's plea bargain.

School Censorship: Voices in Conflict
(April 4, 2007) - Leading playwrights have joined the National Coalition Against Censorship, FEPP, and other groups in urging a Connecticut principal to rescind his ban on a student play about the Iraq war.

Confusion Reigns At "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Argument
(March 21, 2007) - Justice David Souter seemed outnumbered at the Supreme Court argument on March 19 in Morse v. Frederick, the most important student free speech case to reach the Court in 20 years.

The Truth Seeker
(March 13, 2007) -The first biography of D.M. Bennett, who was jailed for selling a pamphlet that argued against the institution of marriage, highlights the connection between organized religion and censorship.

National Coalition Against Censorship Urges Full First Amendment Protection for Student in "Bong Hits for Jesus" Case
(February 21, 2007) - FEPP was co-counsel on a friend-of-the-court brief to the the Supreme Court, arguing that school officials had no right to punish a student who held up a controversial banner on a public street.

"Bong Hits 4 Jesus"
(Dec. 28, 2006) - An irreverent banner sets the stage for a Supreme Court showdown on students' rights.

Fact Sheet on Political Dissent and Censorship
(December 2006) - In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and of U.S. government efforts to combat terrorism by often secretive or constitutionally dubious means, questions have arisen about the scope of First Amendment protection for political dissent. This Fact Sheet outlines the history and constitutional status of political protest, and the free-speech implications of government surveillance and secrecy today.

Internet Filters: A Public Policy Report
(May 2006) - Internet filters categorize expression without regard to its context, meaning, and value. Yet these sweeping censorship tools are now widely used in schools and libraries. This fully revised and updated report surveys nearly 100 tests and studies of filtering products through 2006. An essential resource for the ongoing debate.

Patriot Act Reforms Are Defeated
(March 17, 2006) - Despite passionate opposition, the most controversial provisions of the "USA Patriot" Act were renewed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush.

Of Threats, Intimidation, Sensitivity, and Free Speech:
The Muhammad Cartoons
(February 22, 2006) - Some basic facts and principles about blasphemy, defamation, incitement, and media self-censorship to help guide the debate.

Patriot Act Renewal Stalls in Congress
(January 10, 2006) - Congress' compromise reauthorization bill takes a few baby steps toward restoring civil liberties.

Universities, Free Speech, and Military Recruiting
(December 16, 2005) - The Solomon Amendment denies all federal funding to universities unless they give military recruiters access and support of exactly the same kind that they give to employers that don't discriminate. In Rumsfeld v. FAIR, the Supreme Court will decide whether this condition on funding violates the First Amendment.

New Patriot Act Update
(October 15, 2005) - Two sections of the "USA Patriot Act" threaten our right to read - one is up for renewal in Congress. Meanwhile, courts are questioning whether the government really needs these extraordinary powers.

Censorship at Ground Zero
(August 30, 2005) - Why are Governor Pataki and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. threatening the very freedoms that the terrorists were trying to destroy?

Free Expression in Arts Funding: A Public Policy Report
(2003) - A survey of free-expression policies among state and local arts agencies, including ways of anticipating and dealing with attacks on controversial art. Includes background on the arts funding wars of the 1990s, and candid interviews with agency officials. Read the report in html or pdf.

Internet Filters: A Public Policy Report
(2001) - A survey of more than 70 studies on the effectiveness of filtering software such as Cyber Patrol, SurfWatch, CYBERsitter, and BESS -- all of which block countless sites with important artistic, literary, and political content. View the report in html or pdf.

For additional Materials on Political Speech in 2001-04, go to the Archives Page.