Finding, Framing, and Hanging Jefferson A Lost Letter, a Remarkable Discovery, and Freedom of Speech in an Age of Terrorism

by Dershowitz, Alan

• ISBN13: 9780470167113
• ISBN10: 0470167114
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-09
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

The #1 New York Times bestselling author, Harvard Law School professor, and tireless defender of civil liberties unearths a little-known letter by his hero, Thomas Jefferson, and shares its secrets. The letter illuminates Jefferson's views on freedom of speech in a way that has important implications for the country today, particularly in the struggle against terrorism. This book is about the remarkable letter Dershowitz found, how he found it, and why it matters not only to him, but to us today.

Author Biography

Harold Ramis, film director,screenwriter, and actor

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is one of the country's foremost appellate lawyers and a distinguished defender of individual liberties. His many books include the #1 New York Times bestseller Chutzpah, Preemption: A Knife That Cuts Both Ways, and the Wiley books The Case for Israel, also a New York Times bestseller; The Case for Peace: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can Be Resolved; What Israel Means to Me; and Blasphemy. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

The Collector and His Passions

My Passion for Collecting

My Passions for Freedom of Speech, Criminal Law and Thomas Jefferson

The Letter

Finding the Jefferson Letter

The Provenance of the Jefferson-Broadman Letter

My Letter to Jefferson

Where we have come since 1826

Jefferson's First Argument: An Expressed Opinion Can Never Constitute An Overt Act

Jefferson's Second Argument: If Conscience Is the Umpire Then Each Judge's Conscience Will Govern

Jefferson's Third Argument: "We Have Nothing To Fear From The Demoralizing Reasonings Of Some, If Others Are Left Free To Demonstrate Their Errors"

Jefferson's Fourth Argument: "The law stands ready to punish the first criminal act produced by the false reasoning"

Jefferson's Fifth Argument

What Would Jefferson Say About Terrorism And Speech Today?

Jefferson's Views On The "Terrorism" Of His Era

Jefferson's Actions in the Burr Case

Jefferson's Views on Torture, Habeus Corpus and Other Issues Currently Debated in the Context of Terrorism

How Would Jefferson Strike the Balance Between Freedom of Speech and Prevention of Terrorism?

My View, as Influenced by Jefferson and the Experiences of Our Time.Notes

Index

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