Loveland Magazine is celebrating 1st Amendment and Free Speech

Amendment I

“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 peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

[pull_quote_left]A “Free Press” can say almost anything, say absolutely nothing, or censor absolutely anything.[/pull_quote_left]The “Right” that belongs to us, also implies that no one can force us to say things we do not want to say. This constitutional protection prohibits the “government” from coercing us to speak, however by inference, also protects us from fellow citizens who would compel us to speak things we do not wish to say.  A “Free Press” can say almost anything, say absolutely nothing, or censor absolutely anything.

[pull_quote_right]Since Loveland Magazine is fully responsible for the content of what we publish, Amendment I protects us from being forced to publish content we feel inappropriate.[/pull_quote_right]Thus, “Free Speech” is not about a person’s right to say anything they want in Loveland Magazine. Amendment I does not extend to readers, a “right” to free speech on a platform owned by a private citizen such as a newspaper. Citizens can shout about anything they want in the “public square” because it is the space protected by the government, but because of Amendment I, free speech rights do not extend to uncensored speech in the private, public square of Loveland Magazine.

Since Loveland Magazine is fully responsible for the content of what we publish, Amendment I protects us from being forced to publish content we feel inappropriate.

So, to answer to your question Carole — Loveland Magazine encourages civil dialogue between individuals, however “No” we do not allow speech that is harmful or denigrating to individuals who have chosen Loveland Magazine to express and share opinions. That said, we do allow more latitude for negative opinions directed towards public figures, especially those who strive to be, or have become, public office holders.

[pull_quote_left]We strive to make Loveland Magazine a safe place for the community to express views on subjects they are passionate about[/pull_quote_left]We strive to make Loveland Magazine a safe place for the community to express views on subjects they are passionate about, but when the “subject” is a private citizen, we have lines we will draw — sometimes that involves editing a comment by deleting a line or two, sometimes deleting the comment entirely, and sometimes it involves “blocking” an individual who repeatedly violates our sense of fair play. Amendment I, allows all of us, including newspapers, to develop our own personal sense of fair play when it comes to our speech.