Liberal Stupidity wrote:

...
Other forms of speech declared unprotected include: fighting
words in 1942, threats in 1969, speech inciting illegal activity
in 1969, and obscenity in 1973. In addition, there is no right
to make libelous statements.
...
Is this right? The idea behind our concept of free speech is that
the government (which meant the federal government originally) can't a
priori prevent us from saying something, can't make the actual act of
saying it a crime.

It would take some time for me to run down what the actual rulings
are in all of these cases but take fighting words as an example. I've
never heard of anyone being charged with the crime of saying fighting
words. As I understand it, the issue is that you can't verbally
challenge someone and then sue him after he hits you in the mouth on the
grounds that you were legally exercising your freedom of speech.

Charlie

--
All the world's a stage, and most
of us are desperately unrehearsed. Sean O'Casey

I wrote:

Liberal Stupidity wrote:

...
Other forms of speech declared unprotected include: fighting
words in 1942, threats in 1969, speech inciting illegal activity
in 1969, and obscenity in 1973. In addition, there is no right
to make libelous statements.
...
Is this right? The idea behind our concept of free speech is that
the government (which meant the federal government originally) can't a
priori prevent us from saying something, can't make the actual act of
saying it a crime.

It would take some time for me to run down what the actual rulings
are in all of these cases but take fighting words as an example. I've
never heard of anyone being charged with the crime of saying fighting
words. As I understand it, the issue is that you can't verbally
challenge someone and then sue him after he hits you in the mouth on the
grounds that you were legally exercising your freedom of speech.

As I read Wikipedia, I'm dead wrong. Fighting words can indeed be
proscribed. (Memo to self: Check before posting.)

Now to find out about the others.

Charlie

--
All the world's a stage, and most
of us are desperately unrehearsed. Sean O'Casey