Upholding the First Amendment in modern day

The First Amendment gives us the right to freedom of speech. However, recent events in society have brought many questions and challenges regarding the application of the constitutional right. One thing remains clear: the protection of speech, even if taken offensively, is an important part of our democracy.

David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition and advocate for free speech, warns against the perils of granting the government unchecked authority to regulate expression. He cautions that such power could lead to the arbitrary suppression of speech. 

“Handing the government the power to make these kinds of determinations hands the government the power arbitrarily to silence expression,” said Snyder.  

Similarly, the regulation of speech within schools raises issues regarding students’ rights. While schools possess a greater ability to limit student speech to maintain control, the extent of this authority remains subject to scrutiny. CVUSD Assistant Superintendent Nia Rashidchi talked about the challenges with monitoring speech in the school environment, but believed is was necessary to have a approach where monitoring is made when the situation arrises concern for the safety of others. 

Looking at the past, the parallels between past and current moral panics and challenges to free expression become apparent. From the censorship of comic books in the 1950s to the vilification of rock and roll music, society has had fears of corruption and moral decay. Today, there are similar concerns in efforts to restrict access to certain books under vague standards of acceptability, such as in Florida. However, there still exists a fundamental right to receive information in the First Amendment. 

“It’s not contained in the text of the First Amendment directly, but there is a First Amendment right to receive information,” asserted Snyder.

While traditional media has often been seen as reliable information, challenges exist within news as well. Katherine Rowlands, the co-founder of Women Do News, reflects on the evolving media, acknowledging that people need to be more informed about the news they receive and looking into more local stations. 

“And so our job is… to be very straightforward and very transparent in where the information is coming from so that you can go dig deeper yourself to find more background, more context,” remarked Rowlands. “We are super aware of our responsibility to do a better job of reflecting the communities that we serve.”

The defense of free speech and access to information remains important in a democratic and informed society. With the issues of modern media and societal challenges, it is important to uphold transparency, accountability, and the rights of individuals to express themselves freely. By doing so, we not only honor the legacy of those who fought for these rights but also ensure a future where voices can contribute more to society.