Does Free Speech Go Too Far?

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Recommended: Prejudice and discrimination in the world

Does Free Speech Go Too Far?

Freedom of speech is perhaps the most important right that we have in the United States of America. The first amendment of the Constitution gives everyone in the country the right to express their opinions as they see fit. Without this right, African-Americans might not have been afforded the opportunity to gain racial equality. While this is one of the ideas that this country is founded on, at times it seems to go to far. When a group spreading hatred and prejudice wants to exercise their own right to free speech, many people have a problem with it. Free speech cannot just be for those who you agree with, it has to be for everyone. As I have seen firsthand, when the voice speaking out preaches intolerance, the true voice of the people will overcome.

The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (Rights).” Without these words, the civil rights movement of the 1960’s might not have proved successful. Using non-violent resistance such as marches, boycotts, and sit-ins, the discrimination was fought. In many places, people tried to block the African-American’s freedoms. One example of this was on May 3, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. The police used dogs and high-pressure water hoses on the demonstrators, as well as arresting 4,000 people during a few days of demonstrations (Mayer). As they fought on, African-Americans were able to fight the good fight, and were successful in gaining their civil rights.

Yet...

... middle of paper ...

...-filled voices, the very march that I took place in proved that there are natural checks for those voices. The first amendment is there for those people whose voices might not otherwise be heard. Hopefully when the voice of the minority is that of prejudice, the greater, and righteous voice will overcome.

Works Cited

“Bill of Rights” Thomas Historical Documents. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/const/bor.html (30 November 2000).

Herchel, Rabbi Jaffe. Personal Interview. 30 Nov. 2000.

Mayer, Kurt Albert. “From Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to Martin LutherKing’s Dream of Being ‘Free at Last’: African Americans and their Drawn-Out Struggle for Civil Rights,” http://mailbox.univie.ac.at/~mayerk3/Civilrights.htm (30 November 2000).

Strum, Phillip. “Human Rights Organization in Civil Society,” http://www.civiced.org/schwerin_strum.html (30 November 2000).

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