Freedom's Voice: The Perilous Present and Uncertain Future of the First Amendment / Robert D. Richards [Large Print]

by Robert D. Richards

"Robert Richards has given us a red alert that the forty-five words of the First Amendment are under broad attack. To ignore the warning is to imperil freedoms as old as the First Congress that gave us the amendment". -- John Seigenthaler, founder of The First Amendment CenterCreated two hundred years ago to protect unpopular views, allow criticism of the government, enable religious freedom and give citizens a voice in government, the First Amendment...

• Format: Hardcover
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078388978X
• ISBN13: 9780783889788
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Thorndike Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Battle Cry to Preserve America's Basic Freedoms

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States is a busy one. In a mere forty five words, it establishes many of our most important rights: freedom of (and from) religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and the right to petition the government. It has been in effect for more than 200 years, and was extended to protect citizens at the state level by the incorporation doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment. Most Americans would aver that they are in favor of, say, "freedom of speech," yet we are suspicious of these freedoms when applied to hard cases -- freedom for my speech, sure, but for *that* odious thought? We'd like to protect ony "nice" speech, it seems, which of course needs no protection. "Freedom's Voice" is a rallying cry for the primacy of the First Amendment, for the protection of those freedoms which are at the core of what it means to be American. Richards discusses many of the arenas in which First Amendment freedoms are under assault: SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) brought to harrass and intimidate citizens exercising first amendment rights; campus speech codes; televising court proceedings; talk radio and flag burning; "indecent material" on the internet; mega-verdicts against the media on various grounds; the National Endowment for the Arts and television ratings; and campaign financing reform. These assaults often have laudable intentions, and in the pursuit of a "greater good" the First Amendment is perceived as a mere nuisance, to be sidestepped or corrected, or simply ignored. Richards seeks to bring First Amendment concerns back to center stage, arguing (for instance) that the proper remedy to "bad speech" on campus is the classic one of countervailing good speech and vigorous discourse, not punishment of the offending speaker. "Freedom's Voice" is a valuable and engaging book, brief yet meaty. It's unfortunate that it does not appear to be better known. The chapters are largely independent, suitable for reading in a single sitting. A "good read" for anyone, it would make an excellent text for sparking discussion in a general course on American liberties. There is a valuable appendix with a variety of relevant websites. I take a * off the rating for two reasons. First, the writing does occasionally descend into the legalese: e.g., discussing harassing lawsuits against citizens participating in public deliberations, the author points out that the "founders of this nation wanted to specifically enable this type of activity [participation]." And second, the book often fails to fully recognize the legitimate concerns and arguments of those who seek to compromise the First Amendment, and ascribes to them questionable motives without actual evidence: politicians striving to somehow reign in the influence of big money in politics through campaign finance reform are merely pandering to voters on a populist issue; by awarding large libel or damage verdicts, juries