Freedoms and exceptions of speech

Specifics: Create a 200-250 word initial original response and reply to one peer with a 150-200 word response. The bolded words below are the instructions for this assignment. 

The First Amendment to the Constitution declares that “the Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.” For this assignment, you will need to do some research into exactly what counts as speech. Does speech have to be spoken? Can it be written? Can it be in the form of financial contributions to candidates? What else counts as speech? Write a short response in which you discuss, under the First Amendment, what the word speech has been interpreted as including. However, through the years, the courts have specified a number of exceptions to this rule. The courts have declared that certain kinds of speech can, in fact, be limited by Congress. Find 4 exceptions of this through an internet search. A sentence or two to explain each exception should be fine.