"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging
the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the
people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for
a redress of grievances." The First Amendment to the United
States Constitution, also the first article in the Bill of
Rights, was ratified by Congress in 1791. Since then,
interpretation of its role in the lives of U.S. citizens has
been the issue of many legal battles. Is it OK to shout "Fire!"
in a crowded movie theater? To complain about your boss on
Facebook? To preach on the lawn of a state university campus?
These are all questions that fall within the purview of the
First Amendment. Many court decisions over the years have
interpreted the First Amendment to include not only the freedom
of speech but also the free and open access to speech. This
translates into what is commonly known as the freedom to read.
Regarding access to reading material, an important