In regards to Free Speech and the Internet, I agree with the Supreme Court’s decision to declare the Communications Decency Act of 1996 unconstitutional. Freedom of speech is an essential part of the democracy we live in and although the Internet is an exceptional form of communication in that it gives users access to so many things, both positive and negative, its use must still adhere to the First Amendment of the US Constitution. To bring in another hot button issue, parents are able to use filters for their children if they are concerned about the types of information they can access, but otherwise there should be little limitation as to what is put on the Internet. I think the opinion of the Supreme Court made an excellent point that both television and radio media are censored (to an extent) and that we need to have one medium that is an open forum for discussions and information of all kinds. As an IA major, I think freedom of speech is crucial to the success of a democracy and often see how this liberty is taken away in other countries such as Russia and other Eastern European countries and how that creates a whole new set of problems. As a definite fan of free speech, I really appreciate the fact that I can write that I think President Bush is doing a terrible job with American foreign policy and I don’t have to worry about government officials banging down my door.

-- Catapulting the Propaganda, PoliticalHumor.about.com