Freedom to Read - The War on WordsLike this list

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• War on Words with Nadine Strossen | Johnson County Library

  View on bibliocommons.com

  Thursday, May 07, 2026 | 6:00pm–7:15pm | Arts and Heritage Center - Full event information at the link

• The War on Words

  10 Arguments Against Free Speech--and Why They Fail

  Lukianoff, Greg,

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  The War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech--And Why They Fail constitutes a bulwark against the persistent censorial efforts from both the political left and right. At a time when conformist pressures threaten viewpoint diversity, and when…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dangerous Ideas

  a Brief History of Censorship in the West, From the Ancients to Fake News

  Berkowitz, Eric,

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  The compulsion to silence others is as old as the urge to speak. Berkowitz reveals how drastically censorship has shaped our modern society. His book illuminates the power of restricting speech; how it has defined states, ideas, and culture; and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Free Speech

  a History From Socrates to Social Media

  Mchangama, Jacob, 1978-

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  Research reveals a strong correlation between freedom of speech and democracy, innovation, and advancements in human rights, as well as reductions in conflict, corruption, and discrimination. But for all its benefits, free speech remains a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• American Struggle

  Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union : An Anthology

  Meacham, Jon,

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  In American Struggle, Jon Meacham illuminates the nation's complicated past. This rich and diverse collection covers a wide spectrum of history, from 1619 to the twenty-first century, with primary-source documents that take us back to critical…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Freedom of Speech

  Mightier Than the Sword

  Shipler, David K., 1942-

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  A book about the difficulties of freedom of speech in practice. Each chapter examines the ways society places limits on free speech. The author argues that the practice is restrained by culture, as in Part 1, in which he discusses several instances…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Why Societies Need Dissent

  Sunstein, Cass R.

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  Cass R. Sunstein shows that organizations and nations are far more likely to prosper if they welcome dissent and promote openness. Attacking "political correctness" in all forms, Sunstein demonstrates that corporations, legislatures, even presidents…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• How Free Speech Saved Democracy

  the Untold History of How the First Amendment Became An Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice

  Finan, Christopher M., 1953-

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  A revealing reminder that First Amendment rights have often been curtailed in efforts to block progress, and that current measures to reduce hurtful language and to end hate speech could backfire on those who promote them. To those who see free…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Can't Kill a Man Because of the Books He Reads

  Angelo Herndon's Fight for Free Speech

  Snyder, Brad, 1972-

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  Recreates the life of labor organizer Angelo Herndon, who in 1932 faced "a possible death sentence" over his possession of "communist literature." Following the police seizure of radical literature from his rooms, he was charged with "insurrection"…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• That Librarian

  the Fight Against Book Banning in America

  Jones, Amanda (Librarian),

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  Over the past several years, references to "that librarian" have meant school librarian Amanda Jones. In 2022 Jones spoke up in favor of the Freedom to Read at her local public library in Louisiana's Livingston Parish. As a result of this speech,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Saving the News

  Why the Constitution Calls for Government Action to Preserve Freedom of Speech

  Minow, Martha, 1954-

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  As traditional for-profit news media in the United States declines in economic viability and sheer numbers of outlets and staff, what does and what should the constitutional guarantee of freedom of the press mean? The book examines the current news…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• On Book Banning, Or, How the New Censorship Consensus Trivializes Art and Undermines Democracy

  Wells, Ira, 1981-

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  The freedom to read is under attack. From the destruction of libraries in ancient Rome to today's state-sponsored efforts to suppress LGBTQ+ literature, book bans arise from the impulse toward social control. In a survey of legal cases, literary…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Free Speech Handbook

  a Practical Framework for Understanding Our Free Speech Protections

  Rosenberg, Ian,

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  In this volume of the World Citizen Comics series, Ian Rosenberg and Mike Cavallaro create a practical framework for appreciating where our free speech protections have come from and how they may develop in the future. Freedom of speech is fiercely…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Intellectual Freedom Manual

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  This indispensable resource provides day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people.

• Banned Books for Kids

  Reading Lists and Activities for Teaching Kids to Read Censored Literature

  Scales, Pat R.,

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  In our polarized environment, the censorship and outright banning of children's books that some people deem to be controversial or objectionable remains a major concern for schools, libraries, and communities across the United States. Intellectual…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Can't Say That!

  Writers for Young People Talk About Censorship, Free Expression, and the Stories They Have to Tell

  Marcus, Leonard S., 1950-

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  Sharing candid interviews with 13 top children's and young adult authors who discuss why their books have faced censorship, an historian and critic puts First Amendment challenges into historical context and examines the support network that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Bill of Obligations

  the Ten Habits of Good Citizens

  Haass, Richard,

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  Haass describes 10 obligations essential for surviving the current political crisis. They include being informed, rejecting violence, promoting the common good, respecting government service, valuing norms, and placing the country and U.S. democracy…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Outraged

  Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground

  Gray, Kurt James,

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  "Competing perceptions of harm" drive much of today's moral and political furor, according to this intriguing study by UNC-Chapel Hill neuroscience professor Gray (coauthor of The Mind Club). He argues that because humans spent most of history in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• How to Disagree Better

  Minson, Julia,

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  We are in a disagreement crisis. The average person would rather go to the dentist than have a twenty-minute conversation with someone that they strongly disagree with. Yet disagreement is both inevitable and essential for everything from navigating…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Good Reasonable People

  the Psychology Behind America's Dangerous Divide

  Payne, Keith (Social scientist)

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  Drawing upon his own research and his experience growing up in a working class, conservative Christian family in small town Kentucky, Payne argues that there is a near-universal human tendency to believe that people who are different from us are…Read moreRead more of this annotation