Free Speech In Polarized Times

**Introduction: Free Speech in an Era of Polarization** **Context:** As American society grows increasingly divided and political positions harden, free speech faces unprecedented challenges. David Cole, a professor at Georgetown Law and former national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), explores in this Susan and James W. Wright Center lecture how extreme polarization is reshaping our understanding and practice of free speech. **Highlights:** Approaching the subject from legal and constitutional perspectives, Cole examines contentious issues such as cancel culture, platform moderation, and the boundaries of hate speech. He reveals the tension between free expression and traditional civil rights principles and draws on numerous court cases to propose a path toward balance. **Audience:** Readers interested in the American political landscape, legal sociology, and free speech issues, as well as those who observe the current climate of social division. **Viewing suggestion:** The lecture is academically oriented; supplementing it with relevant background reading will help you better follow the speaker’s argumentation.