Category Archives: Freedom of Speech

Fear and Loathing in America

Posted on April 4, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I have long been a fan of the outrageous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. More recently I found myself binge watching the television show Succession which stars the great Scotish actor Brian Cox. So I was tickled to stumble on the … Continue reading →

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Book the Vote

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The group Writers for Democratic Action along with dozens of independent booksellers, librarians, and the student group Democracy Matters has launched a new project called  Book the Vote, with the aim of registering more voters, particularly in battleground states, before … Continue reading →

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Censorship is as American as apple pie

Posted on February 20, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Although there is much ballyhoo and bluster in the United States about free speech, in reality censorship and book banning have been endemic since first European colonists arrived. The act of censorship, while theoretically limited by the First Amendment to … Continue reading →

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Book Burning USA

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

So here we are well into the 21st century and the reactionary book burners are at it again. Just this week, some self-appointed guardians of American Aryan youth in the state of Virginia have called for removing books from schools … Continue reading →

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Graphic Lessons on the Twentieth Century

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

When Dr. Timothy Snyder’s powerful book  On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century was published in 2017, I was a vocal evangelist for the book and its message. Now, the Yale history professor has released an updated and illustrated … Continue reading →

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Who doesn’t love the Wizard of Oz

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Here we are at the final day of the annual Banned Books Week and I just discovered that the beloved American children’s classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a banned book. In fact, for decades it was one of the most … Continue reading →

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Banksy and Bob

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

By now, you have likely seen photos of Banksy ‘s latest work painted on the wall of a historic British prison. The elusive street artist officially owned the piece by posting some footage of Bob Ross narration from The Joy … Continue reading →

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The feeling of communion in the libraries

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Most English speakers are familiar with the American author E.B. White from his contributions to the iconic writing guide The Elements of Style or through his classic children’s books such as Charlotte’s Web. During World War II, he received a request … Continue reading →

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Lessons from the 20th Century

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Following the horrific events of last week, I am not alone in reflecting back on the cautionary warnings of Yale historian Timothy Snyder. His short, but powerful book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century published just days after the … Continue reading →

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Writers Against Authoritarians

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Writers Against Trump is an association of American authors and writers working together to oppose Mango Mussolini’s regime and re-election, and to encourage voter turnout. They are planning a series of post-election events on November 5, in partnership with several independent … Continue reading →

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