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Simple English definitions for legal terms

freedom of speech

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A quick definition of freedom of speech:

Freedom of speech means that people have the right to say what they think and share their ideas without getting in trouble with the government. This is protected by the First Amendment. However, there are some situations where the government can limit speech, like if it's obscene or indecent, defamatory, or incites violence. Private companies and employers can also limit speech on their platforms and in their workplaces. This means that while people have the right to speak their minds, they also need to be responsible and respectful of others.

A more thorough explanation:

Freedom of speech is the right to express your thoughts and opinions without being punished by the government. The First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects this right by preventing Congress from making laws that limit freedom of speech.

However, there are some circumstances where the government can restrict speech. For example:

  • Obscenity and Indecency: The government can ban media that is considered obscene or child pornography. Indecent speech, which describes or depicts offensive sexual activity, is generally protected, but the government can regulate it on radio and television if there is a compelling reason and it is done in the least restrictive manner.
  • Defamation: Private and public figures can sue someone for making false statements about them. Public figures must prove that the person made the statement with malice, while private figures must prove that the person failed to act with reasonable care.
  • Incitement: Speech that intends to incite violations of the law is not protected under the First Amendment.
  • Fighting words: Speech that is likely to provoke violence or a physical altercation is not protected.

It's important to note that private entities, such as companies and private employers, can regulate speech on their platforms and within their workplace since the First Amendment only applies to the government. For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were able to ban President Donald Trump from their sites in 2021 without legal repercussion.

In the case Manhattan Community Access Corporation v. Halleck, the Supreme Court affirmed that private entities are not restricted by the First Amendment. Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a nonprofit that operates public access channels in Manhattan, suspended two employees after receiving complaints about a film they produced. The employees argued that this was a violation of their First Amendment rights, but the Supreme Court held that the nonprofit couldn't be subjected to the First Amendment since it was not a government entity or a state actor.

Similarly, in Nyabwa v. Facebook, the Southern District of Texas affirmed that private entities are not subject to the First Amendment. The plaintiff sued Facebook for locking his account after he spoke about President Donald Trump's business conflicts of interest. The court dismissed the lawsuit, stating that the First Amendment only prevents Congress and other government entities from restricting freedom of speech, not private entities.

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lol I get that urge. I ended up just splitting my personal statement and filling it out a bit
23:42
hi guys, if I am applying now and just got a full time job, does that count as 1 yr WE?
Yes
23:57
thanks!
Np!
actually can I ask u another question? How do you get CAS fees waived by schools? Is that unsolicited or is it normally solicited?
0:51
Lol, with the gtown essay last year, I shared a top 10 wine/sake list. Love that they still have the cop-out response.
0:51
@KeenHeartbreakingRattlesnake: 100% unless you write something absolutley dimwit.
0:52
oops. tagged the wrong person cus I am drunk. @usefulNappyClown
0:53
@InsipidLemon: really depends on how much they like you. Some schools will give it to you unsolicited, others you must ask.
I decided to apply to ASU because why not cause I saw they waived the application and CAS fee
It only took like 15 minutes
StandingOnBusiness
3:43
same here, i qualify for AZ residency so i figured it wouldn't be a bad thing to toss in the mix
StandingOnBusiness
3:44
20 business day admissions decision turnaround is lit
9:31
morning friends
9:32
it's a personal statement and essay grind typa day
Hi chowie
How'd you feel about your test
10:01
good morning y'all
Morning
10:37
Gecko, I feel pretty good. Two of the RC passages had really tough inference questions -- hoping I narrowed down my answer choices correctly
10:38
Very happy with LR other than having to guess on a couple questions cuz of time
10:42
i have a question about my personal statement. in my activism for the hospitality workers' union, i organized and spoke up in favor of stronger regulations on airbnb because the unregulated spread of airbnb throughout LA was inflating housing costs for workers and threatening their job security. do you think it's too divisive to mention regulating airbnb? idk
Nostradumbass
10:44
I wrote mine about how all activists should be consolidated into a large smelting pot and refined down to a viscous goo
Nostradumbass
10:45
Expecting a lot of rejections though
11:07
I'm sure you'll get a full ride to a few schools :P
11:11
The impression I get is most schools try not to judge based on the political implications of what you write about. They probably care more that you saw a problem and tried to fix it. That seems like a great thing to write a PS about @chowie
11:18
Besides, if a school didn’t let you in for trying to fix a problem you saw in your community, that doesn’t say great things about your school’s culture (assuming the thing you did showed good common sense judgment ofc)
11:19
That school’s* culture
11:23
Thanks Howl you're right :D I def talked about solving problems in my PS
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