Free speech : and why you should give a damn /

Free speech : and why you should give a damn /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Zimmerman, Jonathan, 1961- author.
Imprint:	Buffalo, New York : New Idea Press, a City of Light imprint, [2021]
Description:	1 online resource
Language:	English
Subject:	United States. -- Constitution. -- 1st Amendment. Constitution (United States) Freedom of speech -- United States. Censorship -- United States -- History. Censorship. Freedom of speech. United States. History.
Format:	E-Resource Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/13542553

Hidden Bibliographic Details
Other authors / contributors:	Wilkinson, Signe, 1950- illustrator.
ISBN:	9781952536113 1952536111 9781952536106
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references. Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on May 10, 2021).
Summary:	"In America we like to think we live in a land of liberty, where everyone can say whatever they want. Throughout our history, however, we have also been quick to censor people who offend or frighten us. We talk a good game about freedom of speech, then we turn around and deny it to others. In this brief but bracing book, historian Jonathan Zimmerman and Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Signe Wilkinson tell the story of free speech in America: who established it, who has denounced it, and who has risen to its defense. They also make the case for why we should care about it today, when free speech is once again under attack. Across the political spectrum, Americans have demanded the suppression of ideas and images that allegedly threaten our nation. But the biggest danger to America comes not from speech but from censorship, which prevents us from freely governing ourselves. Free speech allows us to criticize our leaders. It lets us consume the art, film, and literature we prefer. And, perhaps most importantly, it allows minorities to challenge the oppression they suffer. Free speech has too often been cast as the enemy of social justice, but that view is belied by our history. Disadvantaged Americans have consistently used free speech to defy the powerful. The only way to make a more just and equitable America is to allow every American to have their say"--
Other form:	Print version: Zimmerman, Jonathan, 1961- Free speech Buffalo, New York : New Idea Press, a City of Light imprint, [2021] 9781952536106

Table of Contents:

Free speech allows us to criticize our leaders
free speech allows racial minorities, women, LGBT, and working-class Americans to challenge their oppression
Free speech allows us to create and enjoy the art, film, and literature of our choice
Free speech allows students and teachers to speak their minds at school
Free speech in the age of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter.