Debate LoungeRSS Feed
Tag: Free Speech
Pros and Cons of Banning Books
The trend of local and state bans on certain books is now drawing the attention of the U.S. Congress. In September 2022, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced a bicameral resolution to recognize Banned Books Week, an annual event aimed at bringing attention to books that have been banned or challenged in schools or libraries throughout history. Banned Books Week started in 1982 and is publicly promoted by the American Library Association and Amnesty International. Raskin, who chairs the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, said in a statement that…
Westboro Baptist Church Back in the News
Westboro Baptist Church, which has made a name for itself with its controversial high-profile protests of military funerals and a subsequent lawsuit that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, is once again making headlines. This time, the small Kansas-based church led by Fred W. Phelps, Sr., has threatened to protest the funerals of victims of Tucson, Arizona, gunman Jared Loughner. A last-minute compromise, however, has avoided demonstrations during the first two of the six funerals. Instead, representatives for Westboro church will be given time on two radio talk shows, one based in Phoenix and one nationally syndicated.