GD POLITICS

Why A Lifelong Free Speech Defender Is Optimistic In This Moment

Sep 22, 2025
Nadine Strossen, a longtime defender of the First Amendment and former ACLU president, discusses the critical state of free speech in America. She tackles recent presidential attacks on expression and stresses its democratic value. Strossen addresses how legal protections exist but often fail due to political pressure and cancel culture. Additionally, she contrasts U.S. hate speech laws with those in Europe, encouraging civic engagement to protect free expression and challenge ineffective regulations.
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INSIGHT

Speech Enables Self-Government

  • Free speech is both intrinsically valuable and instrumentally necessary for democracy and personal autonomy.
  • Nadine Strossen argues robust expression lets citizens form beliefs, relationships, and govern responsibly.
INSIGHT

A Deliberate Barrage Risks Normalizing Censorship

  • The current administration's repeated attacks create a unique, concentrated threat to speech norms.
  • Strossen warns the barrage may normalize censorship by exhausting resistance and reshaping institutions.
ADVICE

Pursue Lawsuits But Expect Costs

  • Use litigation where possible, but recognize lawsuits are slow, costly, and emotionally draining.
  • Strossen urges institutions to consider legal action and public support even if the process is burdensome.
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