Freedom of Speech

1581 Words4 Pages

Imagine a time when one could be fined,

imprisoned and even killed for simply speaking

one’s mind. Speech is the basic vehicle for

communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas.

Without the right to speak one’s mind freely one

would be forced to agree with everything society

stated. With freedom of speech one’s own ideas can

be expressed freely and the follower’s belief will

be stronger. The words sound so simple, but

without them the world would be a very different

place. Without the right to speak freely one would

not be able to debt, nor would one be able to

receive full coverage on world issues. There would

be no interesting newspapers, no free religion and

no free thoughts. This amendment seems so simple

but, the boundaries of which issues and incidents

are covered are so complex and varied. What is

legal and illegal? What can be said and cannot be

said? Does this amendment include spoken word only

or does it include action also? What, if any,

limits should be put to this amendment?

As long as the government has existed, people

have battled over censorship. Censorship takes on

all different shapes and forms: banning of books,

television guidelines, laws that curb specific

types of speech, and imprisonment or even death for

openly speaking. For example, in sixteenth century

England, a loyal subject of Henry VII was

imprisoned for saying, “I like not the proceedings

of this realm.”1 In earlier times this would have

been punishable by death for treason.

The need for freedom of speech was first

brought up in Massachusetts Body of Liberties in

1641. After the Revolutionary War in America, many

states recommend that free speech be put in the

United States Constitution. Nevertheless, freedom

of speech was written into the Bill of Rights and

was ratified in 1791.

A few years after the First Amendment was

ratified, the government passed the Sedition Act of

1798. This was to help prevent resistance or

rebellion against the government. It also made it

illegal to print, write or say “any false,

scandalous and malicious” things against the

government. One person was convicted under the act

for ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation, and selfish

avarice.”2

This was never challenged by the

Democratic-Republicans because of the

Federalist-dominated the court rule. The act

eventually ended the Federalists in 1800 an...

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.... Or

is it? Should people be able to choose for

themselves? Oliver Wendell Holmes said:

Words can be weapons...the

question in every case is

whether the words are used in

such circumstances and are of

such a nature as to create a

clear and present danger that

they will bring about the

substantive evils that Congress

has a right to prevent.8

The basic idea on the Freedom of Speech is

counteract whatever one says or does. With the

Nazi march in 1977, instead of protesting, have an

anti- Nazi march. The most vulnerable people will

pave the road for the speech laws. Ku Klux Klan

marches are protected as well as civil rights, Gay

and Lesbian marches.

There are many ways to interpret the First

Amendment, but as long as one used good sense and

can justify ones’ actions then there would be

fewer conflicts. Protest and fight back only when

necessary and not when someone offends someone for

petty little criticisms. Use common sense and

remember the harder one makes it on another, it

makes it just as hard for oneself. As proven over

and over History does repeat and the heated debt on

the boundaries of this amendment will continue

until the end of time.

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