Are you concerned or interested in your freedom of speech? If you’ve got First Amendment rights on your mind, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in the Age of Rage” is an indispensable read.

This 2024 non-fiction book by constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley explores the dangers to our most fundamental entitlement: our birthright to free speech.

Dr. Turley is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Grand Lake Constitution Week event which runs from Sept. 15 to 21. He will present “Free Speech in an Age of Rage” at noon on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Since 1998, Turley has held the Shapiro Chair for Public Interest Law at George Washington University Law School. As lawyer, he has represented Congress, judges, whistleblowers, Attorney Generals, celebrities, accused spies and terrorists, journalists, protesters and the workers at the secret facility Area 51.

Turley has testified before Congress over one hundred times, including during the impeachments of Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and USA TODAY. Known as the “dean of legal analysts,” Turley has as worked for CBS, NBC, BBC, and Fox. 

“The Indispensable Right” documents the historical, philosophical and legal foundations of free expression. Turley first traces beginnings of free speech with a guide to classical thinkers, such as Socrates and John Milton, who advocated free speech.

Of course, he then turns to the Constitution’s First Amendment and its ongoing evolution. He cites Supreme Court cases which have tested the boundaries of this freedom.

A major portion of “The Indispensable Right” is devoted to the challenges that free speech faces in the 21^st century. He examines the use of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube as platforms which provide us with opportunities to debate.

Also, Turley expresses skepticism about calls to regulate moderate online speech, warning that such efforts could add to interference from the government.

One of the strengths of the book is that he does not take an absolutist position. He realizes the complexities of constitutional law and allows for exploration of both sides of the legal arguments.

Turley’s commitment to the current debates on free expression is commendable. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, “The Indispensable Right” is worthy of your time and consideration.

If you are seeking a thorough, engaging, and deeply informed account of why free speech matters, this work should be at the top of your reading list.

“The Indispensable Right” is available to be borrowed from the Grand County Library District. There are nine copies in local library branches, so go online to the library directory or stop into your favorite branch and check out a copy. The librarian will have a copy delivered to your branch quickly, if needed.

Go to GrandLakeUSConstitutionWeek.com for a complete schedule of events. I will be at the celebration and would like to meet you there. 

Bill Brown is an educator and journalist based in Choctaw, Oklahoma. His daughter, Jennifer Brown, owns the Mountain Gal Boutique and Quacker Gift Shop in Grand Lake.