Two recent cases against public school boards in Michigan should serve as a warning for all Americans concerned about free speech, according to a nonprofit research institute.
“They highlight an ominous trend toward secrecy and intolerance for opposition – a trend coming from the very institutions that are charged with representing the public fully, honestly, and openly,” writes Patrick J. Wright, vice president for legal affairs at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
“The First Amendment, and the larger American tradition of free speech, are only incidentally useful for protecting off-color songs and formally daring modern novels. Their primary purpose, in letter and in spirit, is to ensure the rights of the citizens to speak up about public affairs and political issues.”
However, the free speech rights of two moms in Michigan – Sandra Hernden and Carol Beth Litkouhi – have come under fire from their respective school districts.
