Greer v. Spock

In this ruling, the Court promoted the notion that the First Amendment does not apply to areas that are not "public forums." The case greatly limited the political freedom of military personnel, while certifying the power of military officers to regulate the bases they command.

In 1972, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was still in full swing. Political protestors of all types attempted to mobilize public opinion against the war. One of the best-known opponents of the war was Benjamin Spock, M.D., whose book on baby and child care had helped to raise a generation.

Spock had become so deeply opposed to the war that he was running for president on a protest ticket sponsored by the People's Party, along with vice-presidential candidate Julius Hobson. The Socialist Workers Party, a small but very visible left-wing group, was also running a national ticket with an antiwar theme, offering Linda Jenness for president and Andrew Pulley for vice president.

Spock, Hobson, Jenness, and Pulley did not want to preach to just the converted, they wanted their message of peace to reach the very men who were being trained to fight in Vietnam. So on 9 September 1972, they wrote a joint letter to Major General Bert A. David, then commanding officer of Fort Dix, telling him that they were planning to come onto the base on 23 September to hand out campaign literature and hold a meeting to discuss election issues.

Fort Dix was a base devoted primarily to basic training for newly inducted army personnel. However, many areas of the base were open to the public, and civilians came onto the base at all hours. The base also housed the husbands and wives of soldiers and other army staff. The four antiwar activists wanted to reach this community.