We’d like to take a moment to remember George Carlin, the fearless comic who challenged censorship and the censorship mindset whenever he could.

Carlin passed away this weekend at the age of 71. The Nation offers an appreciation for Carlin’s career. The Chicago Tribune discusses the United States’ continuing struggle with defining the profane and the acceptable, and Carlin’s impact on that debate.

The transcript of Carlin’s infamous stand-up routine that earned review in the Supreme Court, “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television,” is available as an appendix to the Supreme Court decision.