Tavern Talk: The First Amendment

The First Amendment protects our most basic freedoms, none more important than freedom of speech. But what do we do about speech that threatens to destroy the social fabric?

Made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities, this FREEpresentation considers the constitutional arguments for and against hate speech codes and why the Supreme Court ruled against St. Paul’s hate speech ordinance. If hate speech codes are unconstitutional, it falls on citizens to find other ways to counter hateful speech.

We’ll explore what capacities citizens need to preserve freedom and the social fabric. Could it be that persuasion and deliberation might be better strategies for all of us?

About Meg Mott

After twenty years of teaching political theory and constitutional law to Marlboro College undergraduates, Meg Mott has taken her love of argument to the general public. She attended the University of New Hampshire in the 1970s and is currently teaching at Keene State College. Meg’s award-winning series Debating Our Rights on the first ten amendments brings civil discussions on contentious issues to public libraries and colleges.

This program is made possible by a grant from New Hampshire Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org.

About American Independence Museum

Located in Exeter, NH, the American Independence Museum features a rare collection of historic artifacts that shed light on the Revolutionary War. Examples of popular items in our exhibits include a dragoon pistol, brown bess musket, and 18th century powder horn. Many of our programs offer insight into civic duties, civic engagement and civic responsibility, while we also feature a variety of things to do in NH, such as camps for kids, festivals, summer festival, reenactments, and homeschool programs. Perfect for a day trip or weekend trips, we believe in inclusivity and inclusive history and the spirit behind the phrase, ‘we the people’.