Dalton professor Matthew Hipps talks about freedom of speech and the need for civility during a Constitution Day program at Dalton State College Friday evening.DALTON, Ga. — The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for freedom of speech, but the concept behind that idea is even more important, a Dalton professor told his audience Friday evening.
“We all talk about what the Constitution allows, but the concept behind is about just being decent, about being civil,” Matthew Hipps said.
Hipps, an assistant professor of political science at Dalton State College, spoke about “When Freedom of Speech Becomes the Freedom to Hate,” but focused on the need for civility and tolerance in a democratic county as a way to counter hate speech.
The event was part of the college’s annual Constitution Day program, celebrating the signing of the Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787.
Hipps outlined the history of freedom of speech in the United States. He focused on some of the more recent cases such as the Westboro Baptist Church which won a Supreme Court ruling allowing its members to protest at soldiers’ funerals.