The ACLU, which stands for the American Civil Liberties Union, is one of the most prominent players in the arena of freedom of expression. A non-profit, nonpartisan organization, the ACLU works to protect the Bill of Rights and individual liberty.
The ACLU has worked on the proposed Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. Opponents of the proposed amendment maintain that there is a political right to "desecrate" even the most central symbols of nationhood. Although the Senate failed to summon the 2/3 majority necessary to propose the flagburning amendment for ratification by 3/4 of the states, the debate "blazes" on.
The Freedom Forum website has up-to-date news pertaining to First Amendment issues. Based in Arlington, VA, the freedom forum is a non-partisan, international foundation dedicated to freedom of the press, free speech, and free spirit for all.
Another issue concerning freedom of expression is hate speech. Central to the debate over permitting hateful speech is society's perceived need to balance freedom of expresssion with protection of its citizens from the harm said to be inflicted by such speech. Proponents of limiting expression on the Internet have sometimes listed websites that promote hate speech as an example of their concerns.
There are several organizations devoted specifically to freedom of expression and the Internet. EPIC, a research center based in Washington, D.C., is devoted to issues concerning the National Information Infrastructure. The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit organization focusing on policy concerning freedom of expression and new communication technology. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, in coordination with a number of other organizations, has started the Blue Ribbon Campaign. Representing the protection of online civil rights, the blue ribbon is a symbolic manifestation of the debate over freedom of expression being waged in the new arena of cyberspace.
The Library of Congress' Congressional Research Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Senate and Government Printing Office (GPO), has a web site entitled The Constitution of the United States of America Analysis and Interpretation: Annotations of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 29, 1992. It lives up to its (formidable) title, providing complete, annotated references to Supreme Court decisions.
The academic community is also an active participant in the discussion of free speech issues. The American Communication Association is a national organization of communication scholars, students, and practitioners. The ACA offers a variety of resources to its members concerning communication studies with a particular emphasis on First Amendment issues. Duke University also offers a class on ethics and the Internet which touches on issues of freedom of expression.
For those curious about existing laws concerning freedom of speech (or for that matter, other legal topics), the Lawguru site can be a valuable resource. It has a comprehensive, searchable database of American law. Lawguru can also get you in touch with a lawyer, should you need one.
The Center for Individual Rights' slogan, "Bringing Lawsuits for Individual Rights", gives a fair indication of their uncompromising approach to freedom of speech. Visit the CIR web site to familiarize yourself with the details of their many triumphs and travails.
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