What is freedom of speech?
A. In the U.S., the First Amendment prevents the federal government from arbitrarily and unnecessarily interfering with an individuals speech. Q. Where does freedom of speech come from? A. Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States: 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 to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, free speech protection is extended to prevent similar actions by state governments. Is only actual speech protected by the First Amendment? A. No. The Supreme Court has held that certain forms of non-verbal speech, called symbolic speech, can be covered by the First Amendment. To be considered symbolic speech, your non-verbal actions must have some meaning or message. For example, wearing
