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Poll: Almost a Third of Americans Say the First Amendment Goes 'Too Far'
Reason ^ | 2.27.2024 2:46 PM | EMMA CAMP

Posted on 02/28/2024 9:12:42 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

According to a new poll from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a First Amendment organization, nearly a third of Americans, including similar numbers of Republicans and Democrats, say that the First Amendment goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees. More than half agreed that their local community should not allow a public speech that espouses a belief they find particularly offensive.

"Those results were disappointing, but not exactly surprising," said FIRE Chief Research Adviser Sean Stevens in a Tuesday press release. "Here at FIRE, we've long observed that many people who say they're concerned about free speech waver when it comes to beliefs they personally find offensive. But the best way to protect your speech in the future is to defend the right to controversial and offensive speech today."

The survey, which was conducted in partnership with the Polarization Research Lab (PRL) at Dartmouth College, asked 1,000 Americans about their opinions on free speech and expression. The survey found that "when it comes to whether people are able to freely express their views," over two-thirds of respondents said they believed America was headed in the wrong direction. Further, only 25 percent of respondents agreed that the right to free speech was "very" or "completely" secure.

(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: darthmouthcollege; dissent; fire; freespeech; polarizationresearch; prl; sedition
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1 posted on 02/28/2024 9:12:42 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The survey found that “when it comes to whether people are able to freely express their views,” over two-thirds of respondents said they believed America was headed in the wrong direction.


define wrong direction..................


2 posted on 02/28/2024 9:14:27 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Which is why they will support gov’t censorship, destruction of political rivals and the suppression of dissent.

These morons will be the first to wonder why we became a fascist state.


3 posted on 02/28/2024 9:14:39 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (This is the end of the Republic....because we could not keep it.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Indeed.


4 posted on 02/28/2024 9:15:14 AM PST by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Not good.


5 posted on 02/28/2024 9:15:32 AM PST by Pajamajan (Pray for our nation. Never be a slave a new Socialist America.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

generally and separate from this, about 1/3 of Americans are morons....


6 posted on 02/28/2024 9:16:12 AM PST by wny
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If only they had the ability to think things through.


7 posted on 02/28/2024 9:17:33 AM PST by clashfan (Whom shall I fear?)
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To: wny

The left side of the Bell Curve is all too real, alas.


8 posted on 02/28/2024 9:18:29 AM PST by Sirius Lee (Tonight on The Bickersons... )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

About the same number of hard core democrats… huh…


9 posted on 02/28/2024 9:18:59 AM PST by Skywise
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
We the sheeple.. ..say that the First Amendment goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees.
10 posted on 02/28/2024 9:19:07 AM PST by chief lee runamok ( Le Flâneur @Large)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The 1st does not protect poll participation. If I’m offended, their not allowed to say it.


11 posted on 02/28/2024 9:20:00 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Before anyone has a kitten, check out the methodology.


12 posted on 02/28/2024 9:20:01 AM PST by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: wny

More than half of Americans are women. Almost half are Dimocrats. The result is not surprising.


13 posted on 02/28/2024 9:21:25 AM PST by oldplayer
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Leftists cashing in on their big investments in government schools. I think this news means: Build your bunker and lock and load


14 posted on 02/28/2024 9:21:50 AM PST by Othniel77
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

15 posted on 02/28/2024 9:22:16 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Magnum44

Not just lack of education, it’s also miseducation or indoctrination.


16 posted on 02/28/2024 9:25:13 AM PST by sjmjax
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Some of those 1/3 post here.


17 posted on 02/28/2024 9:25:59 AM PST by EEGator
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Some people think that free speech means that they are free to say anything they like - but if anybody says anything back that’s an outrage.” — Winston Churchill


18 posted on 02/28/2024 9:27:11 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
They're the ones that would have us arrested for saying “you can't change your sex/gender”.
19 posted on 02/28/2024 9:27:39 AM PST by Gay State Conservative (Proudly Clinging To My Guns And My Religion)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Unfortunately, this country is coming off of a period of valuing free speech. There have been periods in the past where free speech was limited. But the period of roughly the 1960s through the 2010s will be viewed as a period of broad free speech rights. The ACLU defending the right of Nazis and the KKK to protest, etc. Freedom is fleeting. I think we are about to go into a period where we find out how restrictive the First Amendment can be construed. Especially if the Dems appoint a couple more Supreme Court justices.


20 posted on 02/28/2024 9:28:47 AM PST by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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