by American Civil Liberties Union

About the author: The American Civil Liberties Union is a national organization that opposes regulation of all forms of speech.

Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition— this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is "the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom." Without it, other fundamental rights, like the right to vote, would wither and die.

Protecting Free Speech

But in spite of its "preferred position" in our constitutional hierarchy, the nation's commitment to freedom of expression has been tested over and over again. Especially during times of national stress, like war abroad or social upheaval at home, people exercising their First Amendment rights have...