An editorial in today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette holds that the right to free speech does not insulate speakers from criticism… [Max] Karson began publishing offensive material while a student at Amherst Regional High School. In his crude publication “The Crux,” he sought to spread his insults as far and wide as possible. He got suspended […]
First Amendment
Dartmouth Law Journal Article: It Should be Legal to Possess Child Porn; Our Rebuttal
Even the ACLU opposes child pornography, at least when real children are depicted. Nevertheless, some people appear to remain irresistibly attracted to the challenge of arguing that possession of child porn should be legal. Cortelyou Kenney graduated summa cum laude with High Honors in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College in 2005. Her thesis on political […]
Firestorm Rages Over Issue of Civility in the Blogosphere
Escalating hostility has led prominent bloggers to consider voluntary codes of civility. When unrestrained vitriol and personal attacks poison debates, how free is speech? The New York Times considers the issues in “A Call for Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs”: Chief among the recommendations is that bloggers consider banning anonymous comments left by […]
The Imus Affair: Criticizing Speech is Not Censorship
Besides being wedded to the fallacy that porn is exclusively about consenting adults, many of our opponents try to equate citizen activism and criticism of another’s speech with state censorship that violates the First Amendment. Nadine Strossen is one of the more prominent employers of this approach. One commenter claims that asking businesses to avoid […]
“Sex-Positive” Debate-Killing Tactics Stretch into Their Fifth Decade
Our opponents profess extreme devotion to free speech, yet in reality many of them freely employ debate-killing tactics such as disrespect, ridicule, misrepresentation and intimidation. Tactics like these have a history in this debate that stretches back for nearly half a century. They have been effective at skewing the public dialogue over issues of love, […]
How the Supreme Court Reconciles Adult-Use Zoning with the First Amendment
Young v. American Mini Theatres, Inc. (1976) is not a new decision, but it is worth revisiting for its discussion of the First Amendment. In this case, the US Supreme Court affirmed Detroit’s right to zone adult theaters. The Court recognizes the value of the First Amendment, but understands that it is not absolute, particularly […]
Connecticut Attorney General Files Amicus Brief to Support Town of Berlin; “Off-Site” Sexually Oriented Businesses are Fair Game for Zoning
On March 19 the State of Connecticut filed an amicus curiae brief (PDF) to support adult-use zoning in Berlin, CT. A chain of adult shops called VIP is trying to open a new store in Berlin, less than 250 feet from a residential area. The brief argues that it is constitutional to apply zoning regulations […]
Chyng Sun: Rejecting Porn’s Hatred of Women Does Not Mean Embracing Government Repression of “Obscenity”
Dr. Chyng Feng Sun teaches media studies at New York University. Dr. Sun received her Ph.D. in communication at U Mass-Amherst, specializing in media literacy. In this article for CounterPunch, she argues that the misogyny of porn deserves much criticism, but that government repression of “obscenity” is not the answer… It is typical that liberal-minded […]
Indiana: Judge Upholds Adult Zoning, Orders Adult Plaza Bookstore to Close
Reporting from Dale, Indiana, AP says that Circuit Judge Wayne Roell has upheld Spencer County’s adult-use zoning. Adult businesses may not operate within 1,000 feet of churches, schools and residences. Cincinnati attorney H. Louis Sirkin, considered one of the most experienced obscenity trial attorneys in the country, argued the county’s ordinance was unconstitutional. Judge Roell […]
King and Queen of MoPornNorthampton Savagery Do Freelance Work for Republican, MassLive (explicit language)
[Updated on June 11, 2007] As those who have visited opposition blog MoPornNorthampton are aware, Jeff Hobbs, Jennifer Ruggieri and their associates have engaged in savage personal attacks on Northampton anti-porn citizens for months. These self-styled heroes of free speech actually suppress it by fostering an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, inducing many citizens to […]