Many scholars cite the First Amendment of the United States Constitution as the most important set of rights in any functioning democracy. Students should understand these basic rights and how they have been challenged, and continue to be, throughout our history. The censorship of hate speech is 1 example of how the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech, relates and helps inform the debates in which Americans engage today. This activity will help students consider some of the arguments both in favor of and against the censorship of hate speech.