At the time the First Amendment was written the United States had only eight newspapers. But this did not prompt the framers to allow the government to regulate the press. In fact, Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers …showed first 75 words of 1689 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1689 total…or with anything whatsoever, this is one thing that can never be allowed to occur. If the prohibition of speech is allowed, the prohibition of ideas must follow. After all, it is not so much the written word that people fear as much as the ideas they convey. By prohibiting the press from providing the right to free speech, in any form, the advocates of prohibition are able to stifle the ideas they find objectionable.