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Originally Posted by MellySingsDoom
I'm interested in the US First Amendment in this respect. Have there been any legal challenges as to what people in the US can get away with saying?
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hm, there's a lot of things you can't get away with saying in the u.s., and for good reason. calling for the assassination from a president, even in a joking manner, will earn you a swift visit from the secret service. i once read the story of a successful marijuana grower and dealer who lived right in the middle of d.c. in his apartment-sized greenhouse. his roommate, drunk, once called the white house and started spouting nonsense. the secret service raided the house and found a) a stupid, drunken roommate, and b) an assload of marijuana plants, growing lights, hydroponic equipment, etc.
but there IS a lot that you can say as long as it isn't a call for destructive action. you may have seen louis theroux's "the most hated family in america", about the phelps family who tours the country saying that "god hates fags". as long as you are promoting ideas and not inciting action that disturbs the peace, your speech is protected.
i'd recommend starting with wikipedia, they have a decent starter page on the subject, plus articles on landmark legal decisions, etc.
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Originally Posted by MellySingsDoom
pbradley - indeed, absolute free speech is a utopian ideal. The political opinion one is interesting - do you feel that someone in the US would be permitted to call for the US to become an Islamic state, for example?
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of course they can; though the same first amendment decrees the separation of church and state, so while they could say anything they want they would likely face a number of legal challenges on their rise to power.