First things first: A free speech primer – The Island News – Beaufort, SC

First things first: A free speech primer – The Island News – Beaufort, SC

By Eric P. Robinson There’s been a lot of public statements and commentary in the past few days, weeks and years about what the free speech provisions of the First Amendment mean. Some of the statements, even from those charged with enforcing the law, have been strained, incomplete or just flat-out wrong. So, here’s a basic guide to what the courts have determined the First Amendment to mean. The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make …