Opinion ID: 25922
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Right to Receive Information Protected Under First Amendment

Text: 7 We will address the question of the propriety of a challenged regulation, such as that at bar, if the activity at issue implicates the first amendment. HACEP contends that the present dispute raises no first amendment concerns because De La O, the only remaining appellant, resides in the development and may proceed door-to-door espousing his political views. We are not persuaded; there is more to the inquiry. The first amendment guarantees the unrestricted flow of information into the market place of ideas. This first amendment protection extends not only to those who contribute to the market place of ideas, but necessarily extends to those who seek to benefit from the resultant dialogue. As stated by the Supreme Court: 8 The authors of the First Amendment knew that novel and unconventional ideas might disturb the complacent, but they chose to encourage a freedom which they believed essential if vigorous enlightenment was ever to triumph over slothful ignorance. This freedom embraces the right to distribute literature, and necessarily protects the right to receive it. 4