Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition have long been
celebrated as crucial to democratic government. (I will often
refer to these rights collectively as ‘freedom of
expression’ or as ‘freedom of speech’.) United States
Supreme Court decisions have, quite rightly, justified strong
protection of these freedoms because of their crucial role in the
functioning of American democracy. (Of course, there are other
justifications as well, but I will not discuss them in this paper.)