In 1976 a neo-Nazi group from Chicago sought a license to march through a Jewish suburb (Skokie) but was roadblocked by a state court injunction.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) surprised the whole world by showing up in court and defending the First Amendment rights of American Nazis. The blowback against the ACLU from the public was immediate and ferocious.
In Chicago the ACLU executive director, who happened to be Jewish,* didn't yield to public pressure despite a huge membership loss, not to mention countless accusing fingers from Jews and non-Jews.
The ACLU's perseverance paid off. Freedom of speech had a happy ending---or beginning.
The United States Supreme Court's 1977 decision was a win for the ACLU on free speech and assembly (National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, 432 U.S. 43).
Ironically the Nazi group chickened out and canceled its Skokie march at the last minute, knowing that it would face tens of thousands of counter-protesters. Free speech had turned out to be a peaceful, effective way of denazification.
In our democracy, if the First Amendment doesn't apply to all Americans, then we may not be able to prevent the government from denying free speech rights to some Americans, which will invite the specter of dictatorship. In other words, "free speech for some means free speech for none," as the ACLU puts it succinctly.
With free speech as an ideal and practice, the American government has to be a people's government. Meanwhile, the American people must not be a government's people.
In 1976 a neo-Nazi group from Chicago sought a license to march through a Jewish suburb (Skokie) but was roadblocked by a state court injunction.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) surprised the whole world by showing up in court and defending the First Amendment rights of American Nazis. The blowback against the ACLU from the public was immediate and ferocious.
In Chicago the ACLU executive director, who happened to be Jewish,* didn't yield to public pressure despite a huge membership loss, not to mention countless accusing fingers from Jews and non-Jews.
The ACLU's perseverance paid off. Freedom of speech had a happy ending---or beginning.
The United States Supreme Court's 1977 decision was a win for the ACLU on free speech and assembly (National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, 432 U.S. 43).
Ironically the Nazi group chickened out and canceled its Skokie march at the last minute, knowing that it would face tens of thousands of counter-protesters. Free speech had turned out to be a peaceful, effective way of denazification.
In our democracy, if the First Amendment doesn't apply to all Americans, then we may not be able to prevent the government from denying free speech rights to some Americans, which will invite the specter of dictatorship. In other words, "free speech for some means free speech for none," as the ACLU puts it succinctly.
With free speech as an ideal and practice, the American government has to be a people's government. Meanwhile, the American people must not be a government's people.
Author: renqiulan
* Aryeh Neier, "Defending My Enemy"(1979)
我发现吧，这玩意，也就是在议论政治议论选举的时候是这样，大家各抒己见，随便说随便侃，都没关系。
但是除了议论这个POLITICS闲聊或者网上闲聊的话题外，美国在其他地方的FREE SPEECH就比较有限了。比如你跟你老板，肯定不会FREE SPEECH，你遇上警察查交通违章，你多半也不会FREE SPEECH，你就是跟你家领导交流，你也不敢瞎扯胡乱FREE SPEECH而破坏安定团结。
这玩意，也就是第三世界国家独裁国家出来的人民新鲜一阵子，时间长了，这FREE SPEECH也换不了学位也换不来工作机会也换不来银子，所有美国人都有，就不那么崇高不那么珍贵了。
我发现这FREE SPEECH有局限性