Culture War and Supreme Court
Drew Brinda
Elonis vs. United States (Currently)
Pennsylvania man who was sentenced to four years in prison for posting
“explicit rap lyrics” to his Facebook page that expressed his desire
to kill his wife, shoot up an elementary school, and “slit the throat”
of the FBI agent who was investigating the fallout between him and his
estranged wife.
The rights involved: The Supreme Court is trying to determine if what Anthony did was a violation of the first amendment.
Impact: The Supreme Courts decision will impact society in a lot of different ways. Many people will be mad at the decision when others will think that the court made the right decision. Culture will really change depending on the verdict is this case.
Historical Significance: The ruling will effect what the historical significance will be of the case.
Walker v. Sons of Confederate Veterans (Currently)
a proposed license plate featuring the Confederate flag—a racially
divisive emblem from the Civil War era—violated the free-speech rights
of the group that wanted the special plates
The rights involved: The right that is involved is whether the act was due to free speech or not.
Impact: Depending on the Supreme Court's ruling, culture will change. Some people will have to take off flags on their cars or will be allowed to leave them up.
History Significance: The ruling will effect what the significance will be.
Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011)
industry, challenged California's ban on the sale of violent video
games to minors. Before the justices heard the case, they had copies
of Medal of Honor and Resident Evil 4 delivered to the court so they
could figure out what playing a video game was like.
The rights involved: The right that was involved was whether the act was legal through the first amendment or not.
Impact: The gaming experience must have won the justices over.
They ruled that video games deserved First Amendment protection,overturning California's law. "Like the protected books, plays and
movies that preceded them, video games communicate ideas—and even
social messages—through many familiar literary devices... and through
features distinctive to the medium," Scalia wrote in his pro-gamer
majority opinion.
History Significance: The first amendment said that it was legal.
Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal
The rights involved: The right that was involved was whether the act was legal or not through the first amendment.
Impact: Employment Opportunity Commission was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court unanimously ruled that federal discrimination laws do not apply to religious organizations' selection of religious leaders.
Historical Significance: The case made it so religion does not interfere with the first amendment.