« Illegal Immigration: A Tool of Satan | Main | Where's the pro-life love? »

April 27, 2007

Extremes in the First Amendment

Three free speech issues caught my eye today. In one, Philadelphia suddenly decided to enforce a 30-year-old law barring psychics, astrologers, phrenologists and tarot-card readers who charge money for their services. In the second, a case eerily similar to that of Seung-Hui Cho, an Asian high school honors student wrote a violently disturbing essay for school that so upset his teacher (understandably so) that she reported it to authorities. The boy was charged by the police with disorderly conduct. In the third, a man unhappy with the construction of the tram in Portland has placed a big sign on his roof, clearly visible from the tram, that reads, "Fuck the Tram."

What is really most interesting to me is that it is likely that the expelled psychics, who probably are offending almost no one, may have very little protection under the Constitution, whilst the high school student and the disgruntled public cusser, who have greatly offended a number of people, probably have quite a bit of protection. Do you agree with that assessment? Are you fine with it?

Posted by Becky at April 27, 2007 01:11 PM