American Experience presents a virtual PAST FORWARD conversation exploring whether the First Amendment and its near absolute protection of free speech makes Americans more vulnerable to political extremism. This conversation is inspired by our new film Nazi Town, USA.
Panelists will discuss the contours of the First Amendment’s free speech protections, and the extent to which they have been used to permit public hate speech and other extremist beliefs, contrasting these legal precedents with those of other Western countries. They will also consider if and how the First Amendment has been adapted to modern digital communication, through which radical thought can spread more widely and quickly than ever before. The panel will reflect on whether speech itself or other factors are responsible for the growing acceptance of social and political sentiments that were once considered extreme.
