POLLS: The First Amendment

With appropriate irony, the University of Denver's National Opinion Research Center picked July 4 to publish a disturbing set of poll results. Items: one out of three U.S. citizens opposes freedom of speech in theory; in a practical test, less than a majority upheld the principle.

To the question "In peacetime, do you think people in this country should be allowed to say anything they want to in a public speech?" 32% replied "No." Only 49% believed that Communist Party members should be permitted to talk on U.S. radios; 39% said that C.P. members should be barred from the air.

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