Freedom of expression
It is protected by theFirst Amendment, numerous state constitutions and state and federal laws. Despite some exceptions such as obscenity, fraud, child pornography, libel or copyright, this freedom of expression raises the question of the degree of tolerance to be had towards messages and demonstrations of a subversive or hateful nature that would not fall under the exceptions. This is illustrated by the authorization given to the organization of the white supremacist "Unite the Right" demonstrations in Charlottesville in 2017 (3 deaths) or the one that led to the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2001 (5 deaths) during the contestation of the presidential elections by Donal Trump.
The major issues of society
Death Penalty. Among the difficult topics to address, the death penalty ranks high among highly conservative states. Except for Illinois, which permanently abolished capital punishment in 2011, and New Mexico, which abolished it in 2009. The other 6 states on Route 66 apply it, sometimes with a moratorium, as is currently the case for California and Kansas. Among the states that execute the most, and taking the year 1977 as a reference (date when the death penalty came back into force in the United States after a 10-year moratorium), Texas tops the list with 578 executions, including 4 in 2022, followed by Oklahoma with 119 executions, including 5 in 2022, Missouri, with 93 executions, including 2 in 2022, and Arizona, with 40 executions, including 3 in 2022.
Abortion. In the United States, abortion, like the death penalty and other sensitive issues, is the subject of much debate. Since 1973 and the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, the federal judiciary has considered that a woman's right to an abortion is a protected right to privacy, and is therefore protected at the federal level by the Fourth Amendment. This was obviously without counting on the many opponents, who are mainly found in the Midwestern and Southern states. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court abrogated this ruling and now leaves the choice of the right to abortion to the legislation of each state.
The right to abortion was an issue in the November 2022 midterm elections, with California, Vermont and Michigan seeking to strengthen the right to abortion, while Montana and Kentucky voted for more restrictive measures.
Aside from Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and California, all other states on Route 66 (Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona) have already banned it, with no exceptions for Missouri and Texas.
Gun legislation. Gun legislation is at the heart of the major debates in the United States. At issue is the Second Amendment, which recognizes the ability of the American people to "form a well-organized militia to contribute to the security of a free state" (and thus guarantees every American citizen the right to own a gun), and the large number of gun-related killings that make headlines every year.
in 2022 alone, there were 6 gun killings in the United States. The worst of these occurred on May 24, when nineteen children and two adults were killed by an 18-year-old at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Joe Biden said on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, ten years after the Sandy Hook, Connecticut school shooting that killed 28 people, including 20 children, that America has a "moral obligation" to further regulate guns, and that it should "feel guilty" for not doing so. "I am committed to banning assault rifles and high-capacity magazines," the U.S. president said in a statement.
Such a measure will have to contend with the Republican Party and a large segment of the population committed to upholding the Second Amendment, one of whose most ardent supporters, Donald Trump, declared during the annual convention of the National Rifle Association (NRA), which was held only a few days after the Uvalde massacre: "We must arm the citizens" and "fight the evil in our society.
In the United States, all states allow by law the carrying of a concealed weapon(concealed carry) and, on Route 66, 5 states (Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona) do not impose specific permits for this.
It is estimated that there are 393 million guns in circulation in the United States (i.e. 120 guns for every 100 people), and that more than 40,000 people are killed each year, from all causes (suicide, mass murder, accidents...).
LGBTQ Rights. Prior to 1962, all states criminalized same-sex relationships. While rights for LGBTQ people have changed considerably over time, states in the Midwest and South (including mostly rural areas) and some Native American nations are still generally reluctant to allow lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer people.
A glimmer of hope appeared at the end of 2022, with the adoption on December 8 by Congress of a law protecting same-sex marriage. The legislation prohibits registrars in any state from discriminating against couples "on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or origin." This law reinforces the Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, including in the fourteen states and U.S. territories that had not previously allowed it. Chicago and Los Angeles, are two Route 66 hubs where the LGBTQ community is particularly welcome. There are several LGBTQ neighborhoods. These are, for Chicago, Boystown (which was renamed Northalsted in 2020) and Girlstown, and for Los Angeles West Hollywood (WeHo), with gay scenes in Silver Lake and Downtown. All major cities along the route hold their gay pride events, usually in June, which is intended to be Pride Month in the United States.
