protests

Not Your Grandmother’s Free Speech

By: guest blogger Tara Lane Bowman; Protest placards have come a long way since the days when signs beseeched readers to elect a candidate in an upcoming election. In the past, these signs and slogans were direct. The act of carrying a sign is a First Amendment right that engages any literate bystander. It would be enough to carry a message that states exactly what it is that a protester stands for or against.  However, the Women’s Marches show that modern protests require more than physical presence and traditional signs of dissent.