By Edward C. Baig Whoopi Goldberg comments on the right to a speedy trial. Coretta Scott King weighs in on freedom from cruel and unusual punishment. And Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg explores the right not to endure unreasonable search and seizure. These and other celebrity authors, including astronaut Sally Ride, ABC News anchor Peter Jennings and former House speaker Newt Gingrich , dissect the Bill of Rights in a series of free, downloadable essays called ''American Perspectives,'' available on the Net starting today. The idea is that noted authors can post original manuscripts for sale in a format longer than most magazine and newspaper articles, but shorter than a typical book.
Consumers can print the pages or read the material on a screen.
But Mighty Words digitally protects copyrighted material by preventing you from cutting and pasting text or e-mailing it to a friend. As part of the launch, the company has announced a writing competition challenging folks to express their views on what the Bill of Rights means today.