United States Government: Democracy in Action

Introduction
In 1801, Thomas Jefferson supported potentially seditious speech, stating: "We have nothing to fear from the demoralizing reasonings of some, if others are left free to demonstrate their errors and especially when the law stands ready to punish the first criminal act produced by the false reasonings; these are safer corrections than the conscience of the judge." In a 1929 case, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote in a dissenting opinion, "[I]f there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought—not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate." Why would unpopular speech be so strenuously protected?

Destination Title: Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Introduction to the Free Speech Clause

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Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			What five freedoms are addressed in the First Amendment?
2			How were William Blackstone's views similar to Jefferson's as noted in the introduction above?
3			Which amendment did Madison think most important, and when would it become effective?
4			According to the Web site, what is the "safety valve" function of free speech?
5			Of the seven values of free speech listed on the Web site, which do you think is most important? Why? Place the values in order from most important to least important, in your opinion.