IP: Poll shows support for free speech down

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Chris Kantarjiev <cak () dimebank com>
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 15:51:23 -0700 (PDT)
To: farber () cis upenn edu
Subject: Poll shows support for free speech down

Dave, this might be interesting for IP. Personally, I find it
quite scary.

chris

http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/nation/story/516894p-4102578c.html




Poll shows free speech support down



By AMBER McDOWELL, Associated Press
Published 5:13 p.m. PDT Thursday, August 29, 2002
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Support for the First Amendment has eroded
significantly since Sept. 11 and nearly half of Americans now think the
constitutional amendment on free speech goes too far in the rights it
guarantees, says a poll released Thursday.
The sentiment that the First Amendment goes too far was already on the rise
before the terrorist attacks a year ago, doubling to four in 10 between 2000
and 2001.
The poll found that 49 percent think the First Amendment goes too far, a
total about 10 points higher than in 2001.
"Many Americans view these fundamental freedoms as possible obstacles in the
war on terrorism," said Ken Paulson, executive director of the First
Amendment Center, based in Arlington, Va., which commissioned the survey.
Almost half also said the media has been too aggressive in asking the
government questions about the war on terrorism.
The center, which also has offices in Nashville, asked the University of
Connecticut's Center for Survey Research and Analysis to measure views about
the First Amendment.
The poll of 1,000 adults was taken between June 12 and July 5, and has an
error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The researchers said they designed this year's survey, in part, to test the
"public's willingness to tolerate restrictions on the First Amendment
liberties during what they perceive to be wartime."
They found that 48 percent of respondents agreed the government should have
the freedom to monitor religious groups in the interest of national security
- even if that means infringing upon the religious freedom of the group's
members. Forty-two percent said the government should have more authority to
monitor Muslims.
The survey also found a significant dip in the number of people who believe
newspapers should freely criticize the U.S. military about its strategy and
performance. Fifty-seven percent were supportive this year, compared to 69
percent in 2001.
Seven in 10 respondents agreed newspapers should publish freely, a slight
drop from 2001. Those less likely to support newspaper rights included
people without a college education, Republicans, and evangelicals, the
survey found.
Republican respondents also were more likely than Democrats or Independents
to see the news media as too aggressive in seeking war information from
government officials.
Among other poll findings:
- About four in 10 favored restrictions on the academic freedom of
professors to criticize government military policy during war. Twenty-two
percent strongly supported such restrictions.
- While 75 percent considered the right to speak freely as "essential,"
almost half, 46 percent, supported amending the Constitution to prohibit
flag burning.
- Sixty-three percent rated the job the American educational system does in
teaching students about First Amendment freedoms as either "fair" or "poor."
Five percent rated the educational system's job in this area as excellent.

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