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Terrorism And The Bill Of Rights, Rodney A. Smolla

Scholarly Articles

In this article, Professor Smolla examines the right to free speech in the context of Black v. Commonwealth, a case which dealt with a Virginia law that banned cross-burning. While the legal doctrines argued in the Black case were certainly important then, they took on a whole new importance in light of the attacks on September 11, 2001. Professor Smolla discusses whether the terrorist attacks should affect the freedoms of speech and expression in America, concluding that, while horrific and life-changing, the attack on America should not alter our First Amendment rights.