The First Amendment Isn't Enough

From the attack on Charlie Hebdo to campus speech codes, it is clear that freedom of speech faces significant threats today. Unlike the rest of the world, America has the First Amendment to protect this right. But is the First Amendment enough? Mr. Simpson will argue that despite precedent protecting free speech, the legal right will not survive if people abandon free speech as a moral value. The First Amendment doesn’t defend itself. If we want to preserve this precious right, we need to convince people that free speech isn’t just something we must tolerate, but that it is a value we should embrace. 

Steve Simpson is the director of Legal Studies at the Ayn Rand Institute. He writes, speaks and gives interviews for ARI on constitutional law, freedom of speech, campaign finance law and other legal topics.