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Elon Musk placed limitations on people who were publicizing flight information.

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A Muslim at a prison, said that prison inmate was not allowed to grow a small beard. The case was ruled against the prison officials because the officials violated the First Amendment, Freedom of Religion.

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Holt v. Hobbs (2015) ruled that prison officials violated the First Amendment religious liberty rights of a Muslim inmate by refusing to allow him to grow a short beard.

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The first Amendment is an important one because we can talk the way we want to, believe in any religion, have the freedom of press, and freedom of petition.

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Ban of Books in Republic states(April 2022)

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Ban of Books in Republic states(April 2022)

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There was a book ban in Republic-controlled states. These book bans included books about race, religion, and gender. These were among the few things that were banned in the 138 school districts, and local libraries. Some people say that this is ban able, but a majority say that this violates the first amendment. Most of the time this is correct, but sometimes a certain topic not about religion, or the things that are protected by the first amendment are outlawed with the constitutions permission.

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The number of books banned in American school districts is increasing, a new report by PEN America has found. Between July 2021 and June 2022, books were banned 2,532 times in public schools across the U.S., according to the nonprofit, which works to defend free expression.

PEN American says 1,648 unique book titles were banned in that period. Between July 2021 and March 2022, PEN tracked 1,586 book bans. Since that report was published in April, 275 more book bans were recorded between April and June 2022.

Many books - 41% - that were banned included LGBTQ themes, protagonists or prominent secondary characters. A whopping 40% that were banned included people of color. Books with issues of race and racism (21%) and books with themes of rights and activism (10%) were also among those banned. About 22% of the books that were banned had sexual content. Biographies, autobiographies and stories about religious minorities are also on the list of banned books.

There are several reasons why books may be banned from schools and libraries. Last year, dozens of Republican state lawmakers introduced bills that would ban content they deemed offensive in schools.

PEN America estimates that at least 40% of book bans are connected to either legislation "or to political pressure exerted by state officials or elected lawmakers to restrict the teaching or presence of certain books or concepts."

PEN America has also identified at least 50 groups, many of which have local or regional chapters, that they say have played a role in at least 50% of the book bans enacted across the country during the 2021-2022 school year.

Under legislation that targets content with themes of race and sexuality, and campaigns by members of the public, schools may feel pressure to remove books from their classrooms and libraries.

American Library Association (ALA) keeps a record of frequently banned books and some titles are extremely popular - like the "Harry Potter" series, which was on the top 10 most frequently banned books list in 2019. This series was banned for "referring to magic and witchcraft, for containing actual curses and spells, and for characters that use 'nefarious means' to attain goals," according to the ALA.

Most books, however, are banned because they include themes about race or sexuality.

Some states ban books that include themes about race by using the term "critical race theory" in their legislation. Critical race theory is most often taught at the college or law school levels and acknowledges racial disparities have persisted in U.S. history and are reinforced in U.S. law and institutions.

While there is no evidence that critical race theory is taught in K-12 schools, it is often used as a catch-all term in states' legislation - including Texas' - as a way to limit discussions about race in the classroom.

Books that include themes of sexuality, like "Gender Queer," are often deemed "obscene" and "pornographic" by people who want to ban them, PEN America said in its report.

"Gender Queer," the most frequently-banned book, according to PEN America, is written by Maia Kobabe and is described by its publisher as a "useful and touching guide on gender identity."

Deborah Stone, director of the ALA's office for intellectual freedom, told CBS News last year that books "that reflect the lives of LGBTQIA persons and families" provide important representation.

"You might not be the audience, your child might not be the audience, but more often than not, there is an audience for the books and often they are desperately needed," she said.

PEN America said there is evidence that the effort to ban books is continuing in the 2022-2023 school year - at least 139 additional bans have taken effect since July 2022.

"This movement to ban books is deeply undemocratic, in that it often seeks to impose restrictions on all students and families based on the preferences of those calling for the bans and notwithstanding polls that consistently show that Americans of all political persuasions oppose book bans," PEN America said, citing a CBS News poll that found more than 8 in 10 Americans don't think books should be banned from schools for discussing race and criticizing U.S. history, for depicting slavery in the past, or, more broadly for political ideas they disagree with.

Trending News

Caitlin O'Kane

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Over 1,600 books were banned in U.S. school districts in one year - and the number is increasing

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The number of books banned in American school districts is increasing, a new report by PEN America has found. Between July 2021 and June 2022, books were banned 2,532 times in public schools across the U.S., according to the nonprofit, which works to defend free expression.

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This court case is interesting because Xavier Alvarez said that he was wounded in combat by the same guy, and server in the Marines, and had retired for 25 years. He also said that he had won the Congressional Medal of Honor. The issue with this is that there was an act that said that boasting about Military achievements that were not true is a crime. The judges were defeating weather or not the act is interfering with the Amendment 1, Freedom of Speech.

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Facts

In 2007, Xavier Alvarez, an elected member of a water district board in California, identified himself at a public meeting as a retired U.S. Marine who had been wounded in combat many times and had received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

"I'm a retired Marine of 25 years. I retired in the year 2001," Mr. Alvarez said at a public meeting of the board. "Back in 1987, I was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. I got wounded many times by the same guy."

None of Alvarez's claims was true. He never served in the Marine Corps or any branch of the military, was never wounded in combat, and has never received a medal of any kind, including the nation's highest military award - the Medal of Honor. Alvarez had previously boasted, untruly, that he played hockey for the Detroit Red Wings and that he once married a starlet from Mexico.

Procedural History

After FBI agents obtained a tape recording of the meeting, federal prosecutors charged Alvarez with two counts of violating the Stolen Valor Act. Alvarez's lawyer argued that the Stolen Valor Act was invalid under the First Amendment and, therefore, the case should be dismissed. The trial court rejected this argument. Alvarez was tried and convicted in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He was sentenced to probation for three years and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. He was the first person convicted under the Stolen Valor Act.

Alvarez appealed the First Amendment issue, claiming that the Stolen Valor law violated the First Amendment and, therefore, his conviction was unlawful. A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed with Alvarez and reversed his conviction, declaring the Stolen Valor Act unconstitutional in a vote of 2-to-1.

The government appealed the case to the Supreme Court of the United States, which agreed to hear it. After the Court agreed to hear the case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, ruling in a different case, declared the Stolen Valor Act constitutional in a vote of 2-to-1.

Oral arguments were heard on February 22, 2012.

Issue

Whether the Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a crime to lie about receiving military medals or honors, violates the First Amendment's guarantee of the right to free speech.

Read how the Supreme Court decided in U.S. v. Alvarez here.

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Facts and Case Summary - U.S. v. Alvarez

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Facts In 2007, Xavier Alvarez, an elected member of a water district board in California, identified himself at a public meeting as a retired U.S. Marine who had been wounded in combat many times and had received the Congressional Medal of Honor. "I'm a retired Marine of 25 years.