2008 Woodie Awards
"Is Free Speech An American Passion?"
Juanita Harris
Issue date: 11/3/05 Section: Entertainment
On Oct. 25, at 11:30 a.m. in the Library Concourse, Barrie Gewanter gave a speech entitled "Is Free Speech An American Passion?" She is the executive director of the Central New York chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
The NYCLU is a nonpartisan organization that serves as the state affiliate of the American Civil Liberities Union. The NYCLU was founded in 1951.
This organization is devoted to defending and advocating individual liberty under the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York State Constitution. The mission of the NYCLU is to defend the fundamental civil liberties values of freedom of speech, equal protection, and due process of law.
Gewanter has been a community activist for a long time. She has focused on women's rights, gay and lesbian rights, and workplace health and safetyissues.
Gewanter currently coordinates the NYCLU's Centeral New York Bill of Rights Defense Campaign.
Gewanter describes herself to be "a professional of diverse training."
In her speech she discussed the three methods both the ACLU and NYCLU believe in. These include; advocating for legislation which challenge the Government's actions, non-legal advocacy, for which both the NYCLU and ACLU believe in working out problems between parties without going through the process of a lawsuit, and public education
The NYCLU defends a lot of rights dealing with the first amendment. "In America, free speech depends on who speaks, and what they speak about," Gewanter said.
She discussed a variety of social movements that brought about many social changes. These included movements such as; the freedom rides, the civil rights movements (which expressed freedom of speech both verbally and symbolically), sit-ins, and protests during the Vietnam War
She also explained that after 9/11 everything seem to change rapidly. Americans started questioning freedom of speech, and free speech became more of a threat.
Gewanter also mentioned a lot about the Patriot Act.
Overall she emphasized the fact that we as American citizens have the right to speak our minds and express the freedoms we have been granted.
The NYCLU is a nonpartisan organization that serves as the state affiliate of the American Civil Liberities Union. The NYCLU was founded in 1951.
This organization is devoted to defending and advocating individual liberty under the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York State Constitution. The mission of the NYCLU is to defend the fundamental civil liberties values of freedom of speech, equal protection, and due process of law.
Gewanter has been a community activist for a long time. She has focused on women's rights, gay and lesbian rights, and workplace health and safetyissues.
Gewanter currently coordinates the NYCLU's Centeral New York Bill of Rights Defense Campaign.
Gewanter describes herself to be "a professional of diverse training."
In her speech she discussed the three methods both the ACLU and NYCLU believe in. These include; advocating for legislation which challenge the Government's actions, non-legal advocacy, for which both the NYCLU and ACLU believe in working out problems between parties without going through the process of a lawsuit, and public education
The NYCLU defends a lot of rights dealing with the first amendment. "In America, free speech depends on who speaks, and what they speak about," Gewanter said.
She discussed a variety of social movements that brought about many social changes. These included movements such as; the freedom rides, the civil rights movements (which expressed freedom of speech both verbally and symbolically), sit-ins, and protests during the Vietnam War
She also explained that after 9/11 everything seem to change rapidly. Americans started questioning freedom of speech, and free speech became more of a threat.
Gewanter also mentioned a lot about the Patriot Act.
Overall she emphasized the fact that we as American citizens have the right to speak our minds and express the freedoms we have been granted.