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Tag Archives: The First Amendment
Let’s Talk About Oklahoma and Free Speech
With the news that University of Oklahoma President David Boren would be expelling two members of the SAE fraternity for singing a racial-slur-laden song, there has been an expected uptick in First Amendment experts in the comments sections of the … Continue reading
Fun with Offensive Trademarks
For no particular reason whatsoever, I thought it might be worthwhile to take some time to poke around the USPTO database. I wanted to see what potentially “disparaging,” “immoral,” or “scandalous” trademarks and service marks are still live in 2014. Here’s a … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Politics, Sports
Tagged Commentary, Free Speech, Intellectual Property, Offensiveness, Oneida, Politics, Racism?, Redskins, Sports, The First Amendment, Trademark, Washington Redskins
11 Comments
A “Free Speech” Misconception
If there’s an upside to having to listen to national arguments about “offensive” ideas on a weekly basis, it’s this: The increasing frequency of those debates has highlighted a misguided point repeatedly made about “free speech.” The argument normally follows these … Continue reading
Anti-Bullying / Anti-Free-Speech Redux
I wrote a piece last August arguing that new anti-bullying laws would inevitably lead to the enforcement of such provisions butting up against First Amendment rights. In it, I wrote: Several potential problems with the policy became clear rather quickly. … Continue reading
Saving Our Skins
I didn’t think much of it one way or the other when Harrison Weinhold brought up the Washington Redskins’ nickname during the podcast we recorded over a week ago. The conversation meandered from weighty issue to weighty issue, and the … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, General Culture and News, Politics, Sports
Tagged Best in the World, Bobby Big Wheel, Commentary, Deadspin, Free Speech, Freedom of Speech, Gawker, General Culture and News, Long Form, Mainstream Media, Media Bias, Politics, Progressivism, Racism?, Robert McCartney, Sally Jenkins, Sports, The First Amendment, The Washington Post, Washington Redskins
12 Comments
Nine Issues That May Frame the Next Generation of Political Debate
With gay marriage legalization proliferating and the near-inevitability of same-sex marriage being legal in nearly every jurisdiction within a decade, the question becomes what will be the next “cause” that will begin to make legislative gains over the next twenty … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Politics
Tagged Commentary, Conservatism, Culture War, Fossil Fuels, Freedom of Speech, Hate Speech, Immigration, Income Redistribution, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Marriage Law, Politics, Religion, Student Debt, The Constitution, The Environment, The First Amendment, The Rich, The War on Drugs, Vegans, Vegetarians
4 Comments
The Axis of Ego 
The Debate Behind the Debate
The debate over Indiana’s version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has already taken some curious twists and turns. The initial response from opponents was to go to the playbook that has been so wildly successful over the past five … Continue reading →