1. The First Amendment clearly prohibits any restrictions on the freedom of speech. Does this mean that in the US we have absolute freedom of speech?

2. Read through/review the US Supreme Court's rules regulating the following types of speech: obscenities, symbolic speech, and libel/slander, as they are described in the Google Slides. Apply the Supreme Court's rules to the following three cases:

• If one person protests the US foreign policy by burning a US flag (that they purchased with their own money) while another person burns the military draft card (that they received from the government), the two actions will be treated differently by the government. Which of these two actions is protected by the 1st Amendment's free speech and which one is not? Explain why.
• If the local high school's anatomy book contains an image of a naked person, can the community sue the school district for spreading obscenities? Explain your answer. Refer to the specific rules issued by the US Supreme Court regulating obscenities.
• Back in 2009, businessman Trump used to spread lies that President Obama was not born in the United States. If former President Obama decided to sue former President Trump for libel (written defamation) what would President Obama's lawyers have had to prove in court to win the libel case against another former President? Why do you think President Obama never sued President Trump for libel?

3. Your opinion about this topic above.

(Should be as short as possible. When answering the questions, please remember to use paragraphs to separate answers to different questions)

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 The First Amendment protects freedom of speech in the United States but its not absolute While the government cannot restrict speech based on its co... View the full answer