Democracy Dies in Darkness

Free to State: The New Free Speech

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October 21, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Attitudes toward free expression are evolving as more of our discourse takes place online and concerns about the growing preponderance of “lawful but awful” content and discourse mount. Today’s young adults struggle to reconcile the value of a radically permissive free speech culture on the one hand, and support for inclusivity on the other. At the same time, many young activists have found agency and voice in recent protests for racial equality, a right enshrined by the First Amendment and its interpretation by American jurisprudence. (Video: The Washington Post)

Attitudes toward free expression are evolving as more of our discourse takes place online and concerns about the growing preponderance of “lawful but awful” content and discourse mount.

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In a world of growing polarization and extremism, many struggle to reconcile the value of a radically permissive free speech culture on the one hand, and support for inclusivity on the other. At the same time, certain elements of the political establishment are concerned about censorship, specifically that conservative speech is being stifled on social media platforms and college campuses.