Exactly what is a "Free Speech Zone"?

Question

This phrase was made by the Bush administration. It sounds allot like what the USSR used to do.

Voice your free dissent against your leader, just do it when and where Bush tells you. What a great American Bush is.

As if we should all get down on our knees and beg for the right to criticize our elected officials. Wow.....America is really changing under the conservative's rule. Towards fascism.

Answer 1

The savior of the republican party Newt Gingrich has talked about this as well....and people wonder why others talk about Constitutional rights.

And indeed you are correct. Fascism, now aka corporatism, is the wave of the future in America.

Answer 2

Govt (cities, states, etc) are allowed to regulate some aspects of speech, namely the time, place and manner in which a message is presented. This is what allows for requiring permits before parades, or having ordinances against being too loud.

Some cities have taken this to the extreme of having areas designated where people are allowed to speak, and prohibiting speech on a particular topic in all other public places.

So far, most of these restrictions have been upheld as valid by the courts.

Answer 3

Free Speech Zones are nothing new.

First Amendment expert Robert Richards, a professor and administrator at Penn State University, says issues regarding race and sex have emboldened students to become more vocal in their expression. In the 1980s and 1990s, many universities enacted SPEECH codes designed to instill greater civility on public campuses and prevent harassment based on race and sex. “The issues related to sexuality and race that lead to the implementation of speech codes, which did not fare well in the courts, have not gone away,” Richards said. “In addition, there has been an increased level of student activism — though not approaching the level seen in the 1960s.”

Answer 4

Tell us Bush, how do the following show the world that you love freedom and honor the people's right to dissent: spying on peace group meetings, infiltrating them, keeping secret files on innocent people, keeping track of what people read and where they go on the Internet, arresting anti-war protesters for no reason and questioning their political affiliations, having police pose as antiwar couples at events, police gathering names of people attending meetings, operatives infiltrating church groups spying on people, taking down license plate numbers, profiling people as activists, lying about the potential of violence at demonstrations by demonstrators, police rioting for the purposes of intimidation, closing down transportation facilities during demonstrations, harassing protestors, beating demonstrators, pepper spraying them for no apparent reason, tapping telephones, coming into peoples' homes without a warrant, embedding agent provocateurs, etc. None of these are characteristics of a free society.

Answer 5

As Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik said, a free speech zone is wherever you're standing.

(I voted for Peroutka--Constitution Party.)

Answer 6

The Democrats first called for a "free speech zone" because their radio shows can't compete with conservatives popular show.

Answer 7

Do you have a source for this apparently quoted phrase or did you just pull it out of your a*ss?

Answer 8

Its when I get to call you an A hole without fear of being arrested.