Discussion 2

During the second week of the discussion, students are to upload two reply posts in response to their classmates’ initial posts. Each reply post should respectfully agree or disagree with the position(s) taken by your classmate and state the reasons for your position. Each reply should encourage further discussion from the author of the initial post and be a minimum of 100 words. The two reply posts are due on Sunday at 11:59 pm EST. Please be sure to utilize the reading materials (and any outside sources) to support your position(s) and include proper APA citation (in-text and reference list) in your post.

See the discussion rubric in the Important Documents Folder for more details on grading.

ASSIGNED READING:

Please read Chapters 5 and 6 of MCADAMS (2012). LAW, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Initial Discussion Post (Minimum 300 words):

Due Week 1: Sunday @ 11:59 pm EST

James Madison believed that the main focus of the First Amendment was to protect serious political discourse. Now the First Amendment often protects hate speech and commercial babble. In a 1996 book review and commentary, lawyer Paul Reidinger raised the concern that we may have “too much” free speech. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Please provide the basis for your position.

The initial post should be a minimum of 300 words and is due on Sunday at 11:59 pm EST. Please be sure to utilize the reading materials (and any outside sources) to support your position(s) and include proper APA citation (in-text and reference list) in your post.

Two Reply Posts (Each Post – Minimum 100 Words Each):

Each reply post should respectfully agree or disagree with the position(s) taken by your classmate and state the reasons for your position. The reply should encourage further discussion from the author of the initial post. It should be a minimum of 100 words. The two reply posts are due on Sunday of the second week at 11:59 pm EST. Please be sure to utilize the reading materials (and any outside sources) to support your position(s) and include proper APA citation (in-text and reference list) in your post.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

I do not agree with lawyer Paul Reindinger’s concern that we may have “too much” free speech. As much as the First Amendment under article 1 on “Freedom of expression and religion,” protects free speech, there are permissible restrictions on some kinds of speech. The article above prohibits the government from restricting the press or individuals from speaking freely and assembling peacefully. However, the United States has a long history of times when freedom of speech was not guaranteed. Notable instances include during wartime when patriotism takes center stage at the expense of civil liberties like free speech. For instance, the passage of the Patriot Act in the aftermath of the 9/1 attack demonstrates that free speech and expression can be trampled upon by the government. Section 215 of this act allowed government officials…