At the heart of the Western intellectual tradition, particularly the value it places on the critical analysis of civic life, or social studies, lies the story of a trial. If the story of a trial lies at the root of social studies, then it comes as no surprise that many teachers find that trials can serve as excellent teaching tools, especially for…

A new video game in which the player stalks and shoots fellow students and teachers in school settings is drawing fire from school district officials. "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012" is a first-person game that allows the player to move around a school and collect points by killing defenseless students and teachers. The game,…

Despite Stanley Fish's assertion that the interpretive communities basic to his theory of literary and legal interpretation are "engines of change," it seems clear that in Fish's conception of change, "plus ca change, c'est plus la meme chose." In particular, Fish denies that the legal profession can achieve the more…

Discusses the control of pornography on the Internet. Highlights include the Communications Decency Act (CDA); "Time" magazine's article on cyberporn and critiques of it; the unconstitutionality of the CDA under First Amendment protection of free speech; and non-legislative software solutions, including PICS (Platform for Internet…

Examines the hecklers and their tactics as well as the major candidates' strategies for dealing with this phenomenon during the 1968 campaign. Assesses the heckling's legitimacy in light of the First Amendment which protects the rights of both the hecklers and speakers to be heard. (JMF)

In "Hazelwood" the U.S. Supreme Court said public school officials can censor school-sponsored expression for legitimate educational purposes. A content-analysis case study of student-written newspaper editorials found that more than three times as many editorials of criticism were published prior to the Court's decision. Argues that…

This article address the legal and constitutional issues surrounding how far school leaders can go in restricting distribution of materials that are viewed as religious in nature. Does restricting the student's right to distribute the flyer amount to a suppression of free speech based on content? Does the principal's action constitute unlawful…

Argues that the Library Bill of Rights aims to codify First Amendment doctrine and the interests of librarians but falls short. Law allows distinctions between government and private action and reaffirms the discretion of decision makers. The Library Bill of Rights, as shown in discussion of several court decisions, is often far more rigid.…

Analyzes two recent controversies about censorship of arts: Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs and U.S. congressional limits on funding for National Endowment for the Arts. Maintains artistic freedom can be encouraged if all segments of society learn about arts. Recommends that aesthetic education deal with these controversial issues, the social…