Nadine Strossen, Former ACLU President, to Discuss Countering “Hate Speech”

August 4, 2018 @ 4:00 pm
August 5, 2018 @ 3:45 pm

In her new book HATE: Why We Should Resist it With Free Speech, Not Censorship, Nadine Strossen, former president of the American Civil Liberties Union, argues expanding free speech, not limiting it, is the solution for changing the hearts and minds of those who espouse hateful ideologies. On Saturday, August 4 at 4:00 pm fellow author and Harold S. Shefelan Distinguished Scholar at the University of Washington School of Law Ronald Collins will interview Ms. Strossen at the Lewes Public Library. The discussion will work to dispel misunderstandings plaguing perennial debates about "hate speech vs. free speech" and show the First Amendment approach promotes free speech and democracy, equality, and societal harmony. Strossen’s powerful argument on behalf of free expression promises to elevate the debate around free speech.

Ms. Strossen is Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School and the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served from 1991 through 2008. A frequent speaker on constitutional and civil liberties issues, her media appearances include 60 Minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, Today, Good Morning America, The Daily Show, and other news programs on CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, Al-Jazeera, and in Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Her op-eds have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Times, and USA Today, among others.

In her book she concludes “We have witnessed a remarkable and bipartisan outpouring of speech and peaceful demonstrations that have denounced hateful ideologies and violence, and that have celebrated our nation’s renewed commitments to equality, inclusivity, and intergroup harmony.  This counterspeech chorus reaffirms the First Amendment’s essential role in promoting these fundamental goals.”

After the interview, Ms. Strossen will sign copies of her book. The book will be for sale before and after the event.

Registration is required. To sign up, call the library at 302-645-2733 or stop by the Circulation Desk. 

For more information about this program or to learn more about the Library, call the library at 302-645-2733 during business hours or visit the website (www. lewes.lib.de.us).