(Vanity)College Student - seeking help on the Supreme Court

I'm a college senior taking a seminar course in Civil Rights and Liberties. My teacher is total partisan from Massachusetts, and it doesn't help either that I'm in NYC. So that makes me the odd ball in the class.

Currently, he's focusing on the freedom of speech and the press, in "Wartime." Cases such as Schenck v. United States, Gitlow v. New York, Dennis v. United States, Brandenburg v. Ohio, and the "Pentagon Papers" Case.

I was wondering if anybody can recommend any "Conservative Books," websites.. etc.. that actually defend the governments position during "Wartime" to limit certain types of speech.

He gave the class a rather biased assignment that makes fun of the President and Attorney General Gonzales, and a radio talk show host,dealing with torture, but I don't know if I should post it here.?

But it's basically entitles a hypothetical situation in which a radio talk show host writes on his website where to find and how to make the ingredients for a dirty bomb.

and the basic question is how would the supreme court today rule in that situation following the precedents in the other "Wartime" cases.

Arguments for and against. How can anybody be against that except for the ACLU.

thanks for any info mtnbkgirl

As distasteful as it's going to be, you'll do yourself a favor by continuing to "smile and keep your mouth shut". Remember, the professor has all of the power in the classroom. However, you can look at this as an opportunity to learn self-restraint.

I'm almost ashamed to be telling you to do this, but it's not worth the failure you're sure to receive for going against the biased views of the professor. Play the game, realizing that IT IS A GAME and get good grades.

I took a senior level political science course in college and our one and only assignment was to write a paper on US/Soviet foreign policy. Mine was very complementary of Richard Nixon, considering his success with China. I could tell it drove my instructor crazy, but he had to give me a B. However, I know if I had written something more "liberal" I would have definitely gotten an A. Was it worth the minor blip to my grade point average? Not really. I would have rather had the A. And my paper was inconsequental overall.

So, you can approach this class as an undercover assignment ... see how you can fool them into thinking you're truly a liberal and you can be laughing at them on the inside.

There is so much 'meat' for your assignment that it virtually writes itself.

One can only recommend that you write it as a cause and effect essay beginning with the Sedition Act of 1798.There you will find all the defense of the Governments position.

Use at least two other sources as well as the abstracts at

http://www.oyez.org

You have a great topic, Schenck and Gitlow were both Socialists, Dennis was an avowed Communist and Brandenburg (while it did not occur in 'wartime'enabled the USSC to review the clear and present danger test) was a KKK leader.

The "Pentagon Papers" revealed the machinations of the Democratic administration of President L.B.Johnson.

Enjoy it.

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