Answers to Discussion Questions
Answer to Question 5 - Communications Decency Act
Some opinions drawn from "Supreme Court Strikes Down Communications Decency Act," Facts on File World News CD-ROM, July 3, 1997:George Vradenburg, senior vice president and general counsel at America Online Inc., said the court's ruling set "an important precedent to the rest of the world that the U.S. is going to allow the Internet to grow without content restrictions." Senator Patrick J. Leahy (D, Vermont), who was an opponent of the legislation, said, "I hope that nobody thinks this is a victory for child pornographers...This is a victory for the First Amendment."Donald P. Hodel, executive director of the Christian Coalition, expressed bitter disappointment with the justices' ruling. Hodel said the court's ruling "leaves our nation's children, basically, exposed to the worst kinds of pornographic material." President Clinton, who had favored the legislation, praised the court's decision to protect free speech and expression on the Internet. However, he said he would assemble a panel to discuss alternatives that would safeguard children against Internet pornography in a manner that was compatible with the First Amendment.