They can only go so far. I recently (as in just left yesterday) took a political communications class at Stanford, where i memorized the first amendment "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble to petition the government for a redress of grievances". But, I also learned that you cannot say things that put others into immediate danger. For example, by screaming "FIRE!" in a crowded theater, you may be charged. Freedom of speech does not apply here.

If anything should be learned fom history it is this: as members of the United States, we have certine right, one of them being free speach, but we should know by now that the government reserves the right to disband out rights in wartime, or when they feel threatend.

For example, during the civil war, Lincoln declared marshial law (that is, he has compleat controle the constitution and the bill of rights, and everything are null and void). Durring this time many paper writers and publishers were thrown into jail with no trile for simply disagreeing with the president.

Another example. Durring WW2(or perhaps more after) many Japonise Americans were put into Japones concentration camps because the US gov. was afraid that they might attack the US.

Another example. Durring and after the Cold War many Americans were accused of being communists with either no proof of doing anything or for simply disagreeing with some of the governments policies and either thrown in jail or blacklisted from just about every US buissness.

The most recent example of this is the US patriot act! This basicly takes away the right of US citicens to say anything negitive about the US.

This has happened all through history yet it still surprizes people when their rights are violated. The point is that the only free speech (espesialy durring wars) that exist is that approved by the government. Which when you think about it is not free speech at all.

About as far as the FCC or so

My school has sat there and tried to tell me that my rights are taking away once I get on school property because the good of the people. There is no good in that, Prying away teenagers rights beause there to scared to deal with the repercusions of breaking an amendment right to a student.

But I thoughts Federal Over writes State?

Those rights were giving to us by our four fathers.

Why should we get them taking away? Because were Kids?

I have been mistreated at school to a ferderal level, and they told me theres nothing I can do about because we sign our rights away before he start a semimester.

I can get going, but I'll leave at that note.

i say the first amendment is there to give us a feeling of freedom but it really does limit what we can do and what we can say. this is a good thing sometimes but we should be able to say anything we want without any repurcussions.

~Ash~

The way I've always had it explained to me is that my rights extend to where your rights begin, and stop there. For example, I cannot use my freedom of speech to violate your freedom of religion. No individual's freedom can be used to restrict another individual's freedom.

I'd like to make a brief comment about school: to some extent, the school does have the right to restrict your freedom of speech. You go to school to learn, not really for any other reason (ideally). When you step onto public school property you agree to abide by their rules. And if they judge that giving students full freedom of speech would be detrimental to the education of other students, then they have the legal right to restrict it.