Contemplating Media & the First Amendment
Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis once wrote in the Harvard Law Review of 1890, that, “ the common law, in its eternal youth, grows to meet the new demands of society.” They were asserting that when changes occur within our economical, political, and social structures, the law, in its nature, and with justice... Continue Reading →
It's amazing how cultures evolve, especially when looking at how society has viewed "obscenity". While freedictionary.com defines obscenity as, "the character or quality of being obscene; an act, utterance, or item tending to corrupt the public morals by its indecency or lewdness", it's broader than that. One of the first short films banned was "Carmencita" (1894),... Continue Reading →
In Chapter 5 of Freedom for the Thought That We Hate, author Anthony Lewis discusses the various issues Americans face when it comes to the intersection of freedom and privacy. Justices Louis D. Brandeis and Samuel D. Warren wrote “The Right to Privacy,” an article published in 1890 by the Harvard Law Review (pg. 68).... Continue Reading →
Do we have the right to be forgotten? John Oliver explores this query in a 2014 segment, following a ruling in the EU that allowed its citizens to request that Google and other search engines take down links to embarrassing content. In other words, European search engines must comply with “the right to be forgotten.”... Continue Reading →
"Once someone becomes a public figure, however unwillingly, he or she is forever fair game for the press." - Anthony Lewis in Freedom for the Thought We Hate In this quote Lewis perfectly sums up the circumstances of James Sidis and the Hill family. James Sidis was thrown into the public eye because of his father.... Continue Reading →
What I found most interesting in chapter five of Anthony Lewis’ Freedom for the Thought That we Hate, is the initial case, Sidis v. F-R Publishing Corporation. In this case, a young man, who was thrust into the spotlight, without his consent, was exposed later in life. William James Sidis was made famous by his... Continue Reading →
Chapter five of Anthony Lewis’s book, Freedom for the Thought that we Hate, discussed the way in which privacy intersects with the first amendment. Lewis discussed the story of William Sidis, a child genius whose father thrust him into the spotlight, who later attempted to live a private life, but failed to maintain this lifestyle... Continue Reading →
This chapter made me think a lot about celebrities and their privacy rights. Specifically, in regard to the case Lewis discussed in chapter four of Freedom for the Thought that We Hate. This 1937 case is Sidis v. F-R Publishing Corporation, William Sidis was a child genius, who was “mentally force fed” by his father.... Continue Reading →
There have been many times where I have voluntarily given up different parts of my freedom. If I’m going to a public event my bag is almost always checked, when I’m starting a new job I’m expected to go through multiple background checks, and when flying I am processed patted down and checked. The reason... Continue Reading →
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