A majority of Americans believe the First Amendment should be rewritten and are willing to crack down on free speech, as well as the press, according to a new poll.
More than 60 percent of Americans agree on restricting speech in some way, while a slim majority, 51 percent, want to see the First Amendment rewritten to “reflect the cultural norms of today.” The Campaign for Free Speech, which conducted the survey, said the results “indicate free speech is under more threat than previously believed.”
“The findings are frankly extraordinary,” executive director Bob Lystad told the Washington Free Beacon . “Our free speech rights and our free press rights have evolved well over 200 years, and people now seem to be rethinking them.”
Of the 1,004 respondents, young people were the most likely to support curbing free expression and punishing those who engage in “hate speech.” Nearly 60 percent of Millennials—respondents between the ages of 21 and 38—agreed that the Constitution “goes too far in allowing hate speech in modern America” and should be rewritten, compared to 48 percent of Gen Xers and 47 percent of Baby Boomers. A majority of Millennials also supported laws that would make “hate speech” a crime—of those supporters, 54 percent said violators should face jail time.
American hostility to the First Amendment did not stop at speech. Many would also like to see a crackdown on the free press. Nearly 60 percent of respondents agreed that the “government should be able to take action against newspapers and TV stations that publish content that is biased, inflammatory, or false.” Of those respondents, 46 percent supported possible jail time.
The poll was released just two days after two University of Connecticut students were arrested for allegedly saying racial slurs in a viral video. The 21-year-old suspects were allegedly playing “a game in which they yelled vulgar words,” according to the police report. Lystad said such incidents and the rise of social media may be behind the increased willingness of Americans to curb speech rights.
“I think [our findings] are fueled in large part because of a rise of hate speech, but traditionally, hate speech is protected in the First Amendment,” Lystad said. “The Supreme Court has upheld that principle time and time again.”
Lystad launched the Campaign for Free Speech to advocate for preserving free and open dialogue in America. The group emphasizes that hate speech should be denounced, but does not think censorship is the answer. The group plans to push back against efforts to restrict speech at the local, state, and federal levels.
“Hate speech should be condemned, but legally, the answer to speech we don’t like is more speech, not censorship,” he said. “Our primary focus is education, and to help people better understand the First Amendment, free speech, free press, and why it’s so vital to our democracy.”
The people in favor of this need to be arrested and tried for treason.
Exactly! I don’t also trust this poll, nevertheless this is the work of the cultural Marxists which is probably paid for by the CHICOMS and Soros NGO’s!
And how many illegal aliens and indoctrinated liberal college students took this poll?
Majority of Americans? I think they mean low information libturds who only want it re-written so they can police the rest of us through the government because they can’t win arguments based on feelings and emotions.
Probably some codicil stating don’t say mean stuff. You may melt a snowflake. You hurt my delicate feelings; so I’m telling my mom. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Either get tough or go the fuck down in flames. Life just ain’t fair; never was & never will be. It’s short, brutal, and often unrewarding.
There’s nothing necessarily disgraceful in amending the constitution.
Look at the bright side: more than 40% don’t support it. Perhaps these are the people who actually take an interest in the world and see how much better the USA is than other countries.
It would be interesting to see the age breakdown on those who do and do not support it. I’ll bet the ones who do are under 30.
I’m on board with jail time for those who report false information. Biased or inflammatory is too subjective.
Unless it’s a disgraceful amendment.
No one said there isn’t. It’s been done before. What about the relevance to the topic at hand?
Me, I’m thick skinned, and don’t give a shit who says what to me or about me. If it’s the truth, it’s the truth; and if a lie, a lie. I will know; and personally deal accordingly.
And that would be a matter of opinion. There’s been 27 already.
Your comment has nothing to do with the OP.
What’s disgraceful is that there are Americans out there who want the silence other Americans because they disagree with them.
Any amendment should have a foundation of common sense. It doesn’t take a feckin Rhodes Scholar to understand if an amendment will cause harm. We are a Republic. That means people cannot be left out in the cold.
Well sure it does. The op is about rewriting/amending the constitution. What are you confused about??? 
Again, that is subjective. There were people that opposed the 15th amendment, believing it did harm. In fact, I’m satisfied that there are those on this board that feel that way.
What is amazing is they are too stupid to realize it could one day be them.
No, it isn’t. …
Not to worry, free coats for everyone…