We explored limits on the protections of the First Amendment : fighting words, defamation, public school expression, and time ,place , and manner restrictions. I discussed the case law limiting student rights of expression in school newspapers and after school activities. As the First Amendment only limits government actions, Matthew astutely noted that First Amendment rights ,however, should be unlimited in public schools given the absolute language of the amendment. I then provided examples of how even hate speech is not banned although the time, place , and manner of such expression remains subject to limitation . We noted how speech restrictions do not allow censorship or prior restraint of the press and how the scope of "free speech" varies depending on the constituency of the US Supreme Court. In that regard, I addressed Matthew's question about the procedure employed by the judges in adjuciating a case and why a decision takes months. Last, we began to examine the First Amendment's " free exercise" of religion provision and the "establishment clause" which we will continue after the break.