Freedom of speech, ones right to say what they please without fear of being punished, is among one of the most treasured freedoms throughout America. Protected by the relevant constitutional provision, this freedom was also deemed most important by the founders.
The first inhabitants of North American colonies, whom were controlled by the British, did not have the legal right to speak out against government policies or issues such as unfair laws and taxes, English speech regulations were quite restrictive. After several prosecutions of speaking out against the government, the trial of John Peter Zenger, who was convicted of opposing the government, marked the beginning of a greater tolerance of free speech. In response to the American Revolutionary War, the Constitution of the United States was created. In addition to that, the Bill of Rights was proposed to further protect individual’s rights. Which stated that “Congress shall make no law …abridging the freedom of speech.”
This raises the question over if freedom of speech should be protected or if it should be deemed positive and necessary by the majority of the rulers. Some believe that free speech should be protected because of clearly stated rights in the constitution and because it helps contribute to a society; while others believe that it should be limited to only say positive things about the government because that contributes to the protection of national security and the government legally has the right too.
Argument for the protection of free speech
Those who support the protection of free speech base their ideas on the principles of democracy. They argue that Protection of free speech is implied in the Bill of rights and therefore should be ...
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The case, R. v. Keegstra, constructs a framework concerning whether the freedom of expression should be upheld in a democratic society, even wh...
Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press”. Although this amendment gave people the right express thier opinions, it still rests in one’s own hands as how far they will go to exercise that right of freedom of speech.
We appealed to this topic personally because of everything we see nowadays starting off with the election, all the way to how people choose to express themselves these days. Freedom of speech is encouraged in this country, but can having full freedom of speech affect us more positive
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Freedom of speech and expression is a right given to all Americans in the First
The United States of America is often known for having more freedom than anywhere else. As Gandhi said, “A ‘no’ uttered from the deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘yes’ uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” Freedom of speech is a big part of the American culture and citizens are encouraged to speak their minds and opinions openly. It is such an important aspect of each American individual that it is
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The Amendment I of the Bill of Rights is often called “the freedom of speech.” It provides a multitude of freedoms: of religion, of speech, of the press, to peacefully assemble, to petition the government. Religious freedom is vitally important to this day because it eliminates the problem of religious conflicts. Historically, many people died for their beliefs because their government only allowed and permitted one religion. T...
Since this country was founded, we have had a set of unalienable rights that our constitution guarantees us to as Americans. One of the most important rights that is mentioned in our constitution is the right to free speech. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
According to “Freedom of Speech” by Gerald Leinwand, Abraham Lincoln once asked, “Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its people, or too weak to maintain its own existence (7)?” This question is particularly appropriate when considering what is perhaps the most sacred of all our Constitutionally guaranteed rights, freedom of expression. Lincoln knew well the potential dangers of expression, having steered the Union through the bitterly divisive Civil War, but he held the Constitution dear enough to protect its promises whenever possible (8).
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