First Amendment Cases

These immortal words from the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ran into quite a challenge when the Reverend Jerry Falwell sued Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt for publishing a mock advertisement in his magazine describing Falwell as engaging in an incestuous act with his mother. In this book, award-winning author Susan Dudley Gold shows readers how the case got all the way to the Supreme Court, where the right to parody public figure and the First Amendment were upheld. Gold explains the controversial decision in a narrative that is both informative and highly entertaining.

During World War II, American children who were Jehovah's Witnesses refused to salute the flag because it conflicted with their religion. In this riveting book, award-winning author Susan Dudley Gold delves into the issues behind the Supreme Court case. An impressive victory for the First Amendment, especially in time of war, the decision established that government cannot compel Americans to participate in symbolic speech such as a flag salute. Although the case involved members of the Jehovah's Witnesses, the decision embraced freedom of expressions as well as freedom of religion.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a free press and free speech, but those rights are not unlimited. In Protecting Hate Speech: R.A.V. v. St. Paul, award-winning author Susan Dudley Gold looks at the issues involved when the Minnesota city of St. Paul tried to ban hate speech within its borders. The entertaining account of the case explores the fine line legislators must walk when putting restrictions on free speech. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the case has become a testament to the sanctity of the First Amendment, even when it protects hateful speech and symbol acts that most Americans despise.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a free press and free speech. In this fascinating book, award-winning author Susan Dudley Gold explores the issues involved when the state of New York attempted to override the free speech rights of criminals in an effort to compensate their victims. The case and its ramifications, described in a clear and entertaining narrative, demonstrate the sanctity of the First Amendment, even when protecting the rights of wrongdoers, and how government interference with free speech affects all citizens.

Charles Schenck an American Socialist against WWI, originally thought of committing espionage, distributed flyers to men who were drafted to fight in the war. His flyers stated that the men were being drafted into, "involuntary servitude," and urged them to fight against the US Government and their freedom to choose. Congress cited "clear and present danger," and Schenck lost the case, but the ruling was overturned stating that his right to free speech was violated. In this detailed volume, historical cases about the First Amendment are unpacked for readers to elicit debate. Through case studies, primary sources, and further reading sections, students are inspired to think deeply about our right, as Americans, to free speech and what constitutes that right even if the subject is disagreeable.