Fact or Fiction: How Misleading Statistics Contribute to Polarization and What We Can Do About It
FACT: 100% of people reading this will continue to read beyond this sentence. Perhaps the above statement isn’t true, but how would you, the reader of this blog, be able to test its validity and reliability anyway? Simply labeling something as a “fact” and citing a...
‘Cancel Culture’ and the First Amendment
As the Freedom Forum Institute points out, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech but not without some key exceptions, such as obscenity, defamation, blackmail, and perjury. With this in mind, it would be reasonable to view cancel culture as a multifaceted...
Overcoming Fearmongering: What Research Really Says About Immigrants
In 2010, Stephen Colbert of the satirical news show, The Colbert Report elevated the United Farm Workers of America (UFW)’s “Take Our Jobs” campaign to the national spotlight by applying to work alongside migrant farmworkers during the summer. A major goal of the...
Fascinating Facts About Religious Freedom in the U.S.
First Amendment Voice’s annual National Symposium is just around the corner, and this year, we have two incredible, virtual events centered on freedom of religion. Our keynote conversation on religion and reconciliation will take place on September 22 at 2:30pm EST...
Polarization and the Press: How Can We ‘Depolarize’ Destructive Media Discourses in the U.S.?
Have you ever heard someone say they “don’t know what to trust anymore” when talking about watching or reading the news? Perhaps you’ve had similar thoughts? If so, you’re not alone. Public trust in the media has been plummeting over the past several years and even...
How to Get the Most Out of Your FAV Membership
There’s never been a better time to be a member of First Amendment Voice than now, as our organization continues to grow into a network of engaged, civic-minded members who are just as passionate for advocating for First Amendment freedoms as you are. We have an...
Be a Light in the Darkness: Why You Should Become a Member of First Amendment Voice
Take a moment to imagine a lighthouse. It’s perched on a seaside cliff, overlooking the dark, stormy seas below and weathering tremendous gusts of wind from all sides. Even amidst the most torrential storms, the lighthouse fulfills its core purpose by continuing to...
Monthly Message from the FAV Team: April 2021
FAV Community, After the divisiveness and health emergencies of the last year, it seems we have been inundated with bad news and the media continues to feed us that diet. Are you looking for a place to learn about good community work, positive news stories, and...
Everyday Inspirations: Lessons Inspired by Edward D. Lowry
As we gear up for our inaugural Edward D. Lowry Award Ceremony on May 21st, we'd like to take the time to reflect on the many civic-minded qualities embodied by the award's namesake and invite you to consider how you can integrate these principles into your own life....
Celebrating Women’s History Month
In honor of Women’s History Month, we have chosen to highlight a tremendous force in women’s and Asian-American history: Patsy Mink. Mink served in the US House of Representatives as the rep for Hawaii from 1965-1977 and then again from 1990 until her death in 2002....
Our Opportunity to Move Forward Together
By Councilmember Chris Duncan Reprinted with permission from Chris Duncan. This article originally was printed in San Clemente Times, (March 4, 2021). Our natural instinct in these times is to find like-minded souls to take us in, assuage our self-doubt, and tell us...
Lessons on overcoming adversity after one year of the pandemic
One of the qualities encapsulated in First Amendment Voice's Ed Lowry Memorial Award for Citizenship is a person's ability to overcome setbacks and strive on in the face of adversity. Many of us are no strangers to adversity, especially after one of the most...