First Amendment, First Principles: Verbal Acts and Freedom of Speech

By John F. Wirenius

Book Overview

The First Amendment, which guarantees Americans rights of expression, has come to epitomise the meaning of freedom in the United States. Yet as the ability to express themselves expands into boundless opportunities with the advent of electronic media in the twenty-first century, new threats of censorship arise. In First Amendment, First Principles, attorney John Wirenius explores the challenges to freedom of speech and examines the evolution of how the First Amendment has come to the meaning it bears today. In his bold rethinking of the concept of freedom of speech, Wirenius writes a through, scholarly discussion of the body of law surrounding free speech and a passionate defence of his convictions regarding the First Amendment. He reminds readers that First Amendment must be protected in order to protect them. In this revised edition, the author has added a chapter that explores liability for copycat crimes: What is the media's responsibility for violence committed in the aftermath of graphic depictions of murder and other violent acts? wartime and cites the latest cases dealing with such subjects as pomography, hate speech and the Internet.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0841914354
• ISBN13: 9780841914353
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Holmes & Meier Pub
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.3"