Nadine Strossen is a distinguished legal scholar and civil liberties advocate whose work is deeply rooted in personal family experiences. Her activism was inspired by the harrowing accounts of her father, a Holocaust survivor, and her grandfather, an immigrant who faced public scorn for his convictions. Strossen became the youngest person and the first woman to lead the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), serving for over seventeen years. During her tenure, she was a prominent voice in public commentary and media, advocating for fundamental rights. Her career in law and academia reflects a steadfast commitment to defending free expression and other civil liberties for all.
This concise but comprehensive book engagingly summarizes both the broad themes and specific tenets of First Amendment law, and the strongest arguments for and against protecting controversial speech such as hate speech and disinformation. It explains the many speech-protective legal rules that emerged during the Civil Rights era, demonstrating how essential free speech is for other human rights.
In HATE: Fighting it With Free Speech, Not Censorship , Strossen dispels the many misunderstandings that have clouded the perpetual debates about and shows that the U.S. First Amendment approach effectively promotes all pertinent concerns: free speech, democracy, equality and societal harmony
The president of the American Civil Liberties Union explains why censoring pornography undermines women's rights. Strossen claims that free speech and women's rights are not at odds--if we protect the law from the forces that would limit our constitutional right to free expression.