New York Times v. Sullivan, S. Ct. 1964
Chuck Osborne from North Canton, Ohio recently sent out an email with the following quote:
In a concurring opinion from New York Times v. Sullivan, Justice Hugo Black joined by Justice William O. Douglas in stating:
“…a representative democracy ceases to exist the moment that the public functionaries are by any means absolved from their responsibility to their constituents; and this happens whenever the constituent can be restrained in any manner from speaking, writing, or publishing his opinion upon any public measure, or upon the conduct of those who may advise or execute it. An unconditional right to say what one pleases about public affairs is what I consider to be the minimum guarantee of the First Amendment.”
Of course how can you speak unless you are informed. And, how can you be informed unless you can access the government records. NYT v. Sullivan is an good example of the societal impact of the Civil Rights Movement.