Civil Liberties
4 Tips for Politicians With Social Media Accounts Who Don't Want to Be Sued
The ruling against Donald Trump's blocking of Twitter critics provides guidelines for staying on the right side of the First Amendment.
NFL's National Anthem Policy Exposes Free Speech Hypocrisy of Right, Left, and Trump
"You have to stand proudly for the national anthem," Trump says, "or you shouldn't be playing."
Is It Really Illegal for Trump to Block People on Twitter Now?
Federal judge rules that the First Amendment prohibits the president from blocking followers based on their political views.
Blocking of Twitter Users from @RealDonaldTrump Violates First Amendment
So holds a federal district court today, in Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump.
NFL Players WILL Respect the Flag's Authoritah, Says Commissioner
Teams will now be fined if their employees don't show sufficient on-field respect during the National Anthem, because we live in a very serious country.
SUNY Binghamton Tries to Suppress Students' Flyers Because They "Offended" Other Students
[UPDATE: The university is now reported (as of Friday, May 25) to be saying that no investigation is taking place, and that the original student newspaper account saying that there was such an investigation was mistaken; but the university hadn't responded to FIRE's earlier queries about the matter, and it hadn't responded to my query before I had to put up my post.]
A Nation of Narcs
Americans have developed a nasty habit of inviting the state into people's lives for tiny offenses. Here are three ways to turn back the tide.
High School Trump Fan Sues Over School Discipline for Border Wall T-Shirt
"If people are offended by his shirt-that's their right to be offended," said the student's attorney, state Rep. Mike McLane. "But it's also his right to have his opinion."
88% of Pomona Students Think the Campus Climate Silences Them
"'Very liberal' students are nearly four times more likely than moderate and conservative students to favor prohibiting some types of speech."
Will Lawyers Be Punishable for Using the "Wrong" Pronouns to Refer to Transgender People in "Social" or "Bar Association" Activities?
LAMBDA Legal suggests the answer would be "yes," under the American Bar Association's proposed rule 8.4, which they are supporting.
Reason Staff Bitterly Divided on Planned Parenthood Defunding: Podcast
Civil debate, whether on Trump/Russia, gun policy, or fungible abortion funding, begins in the workplace.
Crime in D.C. to Negligently Cause "Significant Mental Suffering" by Saying Two Non-Political Things About Someone
That's what D.C. stalking law, as interpreted by D.C. courts, calls for.
D.C. City Councilman Tried to Get Anti-Stalking Order Against Freelance Journalist
The councilman was Trayon "Rothschilds Control the Weather" White (or, if you prefer, Trayon "Nazi Stormtrooper Protectors" White).
What Can Be Done To Stop School Shootings Without Shredding the Constitution?
Probably nothing. Which doesn't mean libertarians shouldn't be having a serious conversation after Santa Fe, Parkland, and other tragedies.
Arkansas Prior Restraint Saga -- One Court Says Yes, One Says No
I'll grant Justice Courtney Goodson's request to block ads that allegedly libel her during her reelection campaign, says one trial judge. Unconstitutional prior restraint, says another.
Andrew Cuomo Knows What Must Be Done About School Shootings: Something
None of the usual gun control proposals seems relevant to the massacre at Santa Fe High School.
Is 2018 Really 'Deadlier For Schoolchildren Than Service Members'?
A Washington Post headline misleads its readers.
Gun Rights, Gun Control Advocates React to Texas Shooting
Politicians, activists rehash calls for increased security, regulation of guns.
Georgetown Students Host Community Dialogue on Racism, Ask White Allies Not to Attend
"For the safety of students of color"
Fight Hate Speech with More Speech, Not Censorship: ACLU's Nadine Strossen
Nick Gillespie talks to former president of the ACLU Nadine Strossen about the difficulties and importance of free speech.
Boulder Legislators Spray-Fire From the Hip at 'Assault Weapons'
The city council's unanimous support for the new ban does not make up for its lack of logic and legality.
Google Now Deindexing Some Web Pages Based on FDA's Administrative Agency Findings
A new Google policy calls for such deindexing based on administrative agency findings-without a court order-in cases where the agency is "charged with protecting consumers' physical safety from harm by products or services that they consume."
Canadian City Leaders Declare Anarchy Symbol to Be Hate Speech
When government has the power to censor, ultimately it will look for excuses to suppress opposition.
CNN's Mary Katharine Ham Loves Waffle House, Isn't So Sure About Twitter: Podcast
A conversation about social media, privacy, and the public-private, left-right free speech fight
Extra Twist in the Arkansas Prior Restraint Case
"A northwest Arkansas judge who ordered that attack ads critical of Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson be taken off the air this week reported receiving [over $12,500 of] income, through his wife, from the law firm of Goodson's husband."
Which Businesses (or Which Filter Manufacturers) Are Blocking Our Blog?
A customer reports that he was blocked from accessing us at a Nordstrom coffee shop; have you had similar experiences?
Feminist Group Demands Spotify's New 'Hate Content' Policy Be Applied to Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem
The company's new policy is already giving it problems.
California Cities Are Free to Regulate Gun Stores Out of Existence
More Second Amendment setbacks in the Golden State when the Supreme Court declines to take a case about city zoning
Arkansas Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Against Allegedly Libelous Political Ad
The ad criticizes Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson; the TRO that she just got today is almost certainly an unconstitutional prior restraint.
Civilians with Guns Intervening in Active Shooter Incidents -- the 2016 and 2017 Data
Data from the FBI's Active Shooter Incidents in the United States in 2016 and 2017 report; legal civilian gun carriers tried to intervene in 6 out of 50 incidents, and apparently succeeded in 3 or 4 of them.
Cops Have No Idea If Hate Crime Laws Stop Hate Crimes
..and other things I learned when I spoke at a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights briefing.
SCOTUS Says Non-Authorized Rental Car Drivers Do Not Automatically Forfeit Their Fourth Amendment Rights
Fourth Amendment advocates score a limited victory in Byrd v. U.S.
Spotify Partners with the Southern Poverty Law Center to Purge 'Hate Content' from Its Music
A well-intentioned new policy threatens the violent, angry music we know and love.
'Assault Weapons,' Explained
How a scary name for an arbitrary group of firearms distorts the gun control debate
Libel and Antimatter
"[Defendant's] posts inspired viewers' comments, which read like a nerd's version of a fist fight." More substantively, "In this context, and considering the cutting-edge nature of [plaintiff's] research into antimatter's theoretical applications [which defendant was sharply criticizing], a reasonable reader would expect zealous debate."
Let's Not Blame Tech Tools if This Sheriff Illegally Violated People's Privacy
Government, not private companies, is supposed to provide oversight over police behavior.
2 New Court Decisions Are Quietly Eliminating Californians' Second Amendment Rights
Golden State gun owners may soon be an endangered species, and no one is talking about why.
Man Protests Police Department's Violation of Speech Rights, So Cops Arrest Him
Stamford, Connecticut, police chief objects to salty language on a sign. That's not a crime.
From Washington to Wisconsin, States Are Punishing Dissent
Faced with the possibility of fines or legal battles, many will choose not to speak at all.
'Working Washington' Calls for Prosecution of Amazon.com—for Amazon's Use of Ordinary Political Tactics
According to the group's theory, a vast range of political hardball is a crime.
Legal Group Sues University of Michigan Over Speech Code, Bias Response Team
"A bias response system has no place in America."
The Battle of Ideas Turns Coercive
Too many people (and governments) want to shut down and punish speech they disagree with.
