News stories tagged with "free-speech"

(01/23/12) Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the supreme court Citizens United decision. The court voted 5-4, saying that corporations have the same protected speech rights as people, including the right to make unlimited financial contributions to groups who want to influence elections. That's upsetting to a lot of Vermonters. And as Sarah Harris reports, they're working to change it. more

(02/18/05) In the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the climate of ardent patriotism made it difficult for critics of the Bush Administration to speak out. One of the few voices of dissent during that time was New York City based artist David Rees. Rees has been drawing his comic strip Get Your War On for the three and a half years since then. He has two books out and the strip is now a regular feature in Rolling Stone magazine. Rees spoke Wednesday at St. Lawrence University, where several prints of the comic strip are on display through tomorrow. David Sommerstein caught up with him. Please note, there is one bleeped-out profanity in this story.

(05/21/04) Defining free speech is tricky - in a media climate featuring Howard Stern and Janet Jackson. Ellen Rocco considers the slippery slope we're sliding on.

(10/02/01) We revisit the case of the boy in Ontario who was suspended from his school and arrested for writing a story for drama class about a boy who blows up his school. David Sommerstein reports.

(02/01/01) To learn more about the differences between Canadian and American concepts of free speech, David Sommerstein spoke with Robert Thacker, professor of Canadian Studies at St. Lawrence University. Thacker says the situation is complicated by a court-imposed ban on the publication of the case's details.

(02/01/01) Educators are on high alert for signs of school violence in the post-Columbine era. Recently near Cornwall, Ontario, a high school student wrote a drama class essay called "Twisted". It's the story of a bullied teenager who plans to blow up his school for revenge. As a result of the story, the student was suspended from school and served over a month in jail. As David Sommerstein reports, the case has sparked a controversial and highly publicized debate in Canada.