Free speech news covering First Amendment cases, content moderation, campus speech debates, press freedom, and efforts to regulate or restrict expression.
This commentary argues that US universities canceling graduation speakers due to their controversial opinions sends a troubling message about free speech. It contends that such cancellations undermine the principles of open discourse and academic freedom, potentially chilling expression on campuses.
A Yale AAUP report found nearly half of surveyed faculty fear discipline for public engagement, and one-fifth were asked to change course or research language. The AAUP calls for explicit academic freedom protections in the faculty handbook.
Performance artist Sanmu Chen was stopped by police while attempting to display a 6.4-meter red thread in Causeway Bay to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Another artist was also stopped for holding a question-mark balloon. Chen had been detained on previous June 3 anniversaries.
Activist Aron Ra delivered the invocation on May 19, concluding with 'Hail Satan.' Commissioner April Becker left the room and accused Ra of violating decorum. Clark County said invocations must align with constitutional principles and that hate speech is not tolerated.
This commentary argues that Americans must actively exercise their First Amendment rights to preserve them, using the removal of the Newseum's marble facade as a metaphor. It contends that freedom of speech and press require constant vigilance and corrects common misconceptions about their scope, emphasizing that these freedoms are not guaranteed without effort.