Freedom Of Speech

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The First Amendment reads: “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” (U.S. Const. amend. I). However, nothing in this world is completely “free”, including free speech. Having free speech comes with limitations in order to prevent harm or setbacks to interests. These limits, however, must have a high bar to reach otherwise the government would be taking the “freedom” out of free speech and expression. Unfortunately, hate speech, while highly discouraged, should not be a restriction within the limits of freedom of …show more content…

The offense principle “requires that the disliked state of mind be produced wrongfully by another party” (Feinberg, p. 2). This also means that it is a necessary condition that there be a wrong, not necessarily that the victim feels wronged (Feinberg, p. 2) Feinberg believes that the offense principle is necessary in order to guide the limitations of free speech (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Even Mill believed that there are some acts that if done publicly from the category of offenses against others, should rightly be prohibited (Mill, p. 97). Feinberg’s principle, like Mills, recommends limited intervention when it comes to free speech, however, his principle allows for more reach than the harm principle. In Feinberg’s opinion, “all forms of speech that are found to be offensive, but easily avoidable should go unpunished” and those offenses that are punished should be done less severely since offending is less serious than harming is (p. 160). For example, Feinberg states that books or movies should never be banned for offensive material since both can easily be avoided (Stanford Encyclopedia of

Village Of Skokie Essay
1275 Words | 3 Pages
The First Amendment 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." Essentially, the First Amendment is supposed to give citizens the right to have free speech, free choice of religion, and the right to assemble peaceably. There are limitations to the First Amendment because every person interprets the rights differently. The Nazis most likely assumed that it was all right to hate people and say it in public, but the Jewish people disagreed, believing that hatred is unacceptable. Where is the line drawn when it comes to people being able to speak their minds? Justice Murphy, a member of the Supreme Court in 1942, had a say on what is considered allowable under the First Amendment and what crosses the line, and he stated,
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Derek Bok's Prohibiting Hate Speech?
815 Words | 2 Pages
Should the First Amendment stop protecting hate speech? In Derek Bok’s “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus”, he argues that hate speech should be protected as censorship would be against the First Amendment. He declares “One reason why the power of censorship is so dangerous is that it is extremely difficult to decide when a particular communications is offensive enough to warrant prohibition or to weigh the degree is offensiveness against the potential value of communication.... if we were to forbid flags, it is only a short step to prohibiting offensive speakers” (Bok 67) What Bok is attempting to say is that we can technically declare anything as offensive. The idea of hate speech is varying on the opinion of a person rather than law.
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Freedom of Speech
1581 Words | 4 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.
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Censorship in America
1063 Words | 3 Pages
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
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We Must Put and End to Hate Speech on Campus
3184 Words | 7 Pages
And even though the First Amendment grants us the freedom of speech, including such hate speech, there are limits. The federal and all state governments, including public colleges and universities and private schools that accept federal financial aid, cannot unnecessarily regulate speech, with the following exceptions: “obscenity, figh...
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Freedom Of Speech: The Second Amendment To The First Amendment
1466 Words | 3 Pages
Stanley Fish states in his essay “The Free-Speech Follies”, “The modern American version of crying wolf is crying First Amendment” (496). The First Amendment is made up of five basic freedoms given to the United States citizens that consist of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to hold a peaceful protest, freedom of press, and the right to protest. Within the Constitution there are no words that state the rights include for society to speak rudely to, or about, others. The article “Freedom of Speech” explains, “Slander consists of orally making and libel consists of publishing false statements that are damaging to the reputation of another” (1). People are allowed to have their own beliefs and opinions; however, they should not
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Hate Groups in the United States
1148 Words | 3 Pages
Many hate groups in the United States use the first amendment as a shield to protect themselves from the law, they are bad examples to our following generations because they are trying to recruit more members and change their way of think, these hate groups also commit a lot of crimes against those people that they think are different. That is why in the United States, many Americans are against all of the hate groups and they think that these hate groups should not be allow to exist. We all know that if the U.S. Government decide to ban them, they may be inn silent for many years, but we can count on the fact that they are there. They are “The Invisible Empire” and will always be the dark side to American History.
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Hate Speech is the Price We Must Pay for Freedom of Speech
2303 Words | 5 Pages
Living in the United States we enjoy many wonderful freedoms and liberties. Even though most of these freedoms seem innate to our lives, most have been earned though sacrifice and hard work. Out of all of our rights, freedom of speech is perhaps our most cherished, and one of the most controversial. Hate speech is one of the prices we all endure to ensure our speech stays free. But with hate speeches becoming increasingly common, many wonder if it is too great of a price to pay, or one that we should have to pay at all.
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Campus Hate Speech Should NOT Be Regulated
318 Words | 1 Pages
How much we valuse the right of free speech is out to its severest test when the speaker is someone we disagree with most. Speech that deeply offends our morality or is hostile to our way of life promises the same constitutional protection as other speech because the right of free speech is indivisible: When one of us is denied this right, all of us are denied. Where racist, sexist and homphobic speech is concerned, I believe that more speech - not less - is the best revenge. This is particualrly true at universities, whose mission is to facilitate learning through open debate and study, and to enlighten. Speech codes are not the way to go on campuses, where all views are entitled to be heard, explored, supported or refuted. Besides, when hate is out in the open, people can see the problem. They can organize effectively to encounter bad attitudes, possibly to change them, and imitate togetherness against the forces of intolerance.
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Persuasive Speech On The First Amendment
1261 Words | 3 Pages
Unlike many other countries America has freedom of speech. Even in other countries in Europe people are not allowed to use “hate speech” and they can be sent to prison for it. Fortunately, the American constitution defends people’s freedom of speech, no matter how controversial it is. Political correctness diminishes people’s free speech. It may not be direct but even indirectly the knowledge that someone might have adverse consequences; such as losing a job as a result of their speech is unacceptable. People have the right to state their opinions without others infringing on them, it was the principle in which America was founded. The first amendment of the constitution of the United States declares that: “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.” (US Const. amend. I, sec. i). While the first amendment only affects congress’s control over free speech, it indicates that free speech is a right that people must have. Some people are of the opinion that if something can be found offensive
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Freedom Of Speech
1364 Words | 3 Pages
In the United States, free speech is protected by the First Amendment in which it states, “Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion … or abridging the freedom of speech.” Now, nearly 250 years into the future, the exact thing that the Founding Fathers were afraid of is starting to happen. Today, our freedom of speech is being threatened through different forces, such as the tyranny of the majority, the protection of the minority, and the stability of the society. Now, colleges and universities in the United States today are also trying to institute a code upon its students that would bar them from exercising their right to speak freely in the name of protecting minorities from getting bullied. This brings us into
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Hate Crimes
1164 Words | 3 Pages
Have you ever had a crime committed against you? In today’s society we are faced with crime all around us. There are crimes committed out of rage, revenge, jealousy, love, greed, etc; but there is another type of crime, or one could say act of violence, called hate crimes. Have you ever thought maybe that crime was committed against just because of your racial background, or religious beliefs? Throughout this country’s history, hate crimes have taken place, either by known groups who hate and, most commonly, individuals that are inspired by hate. Not until recently have the people of this country ever wanted to pass a law that would punish the guilty to an even higher extent because the crime was committed out of hate. There are two sides to every issue. Whether or not the issue is valid or if it is an unrealistic concept created by the media or by the federal government, then, in my opinion, passing a law of this type is totally unrealistic. It is almost impossible to prove that a crime is committed out of a bias hate. I feel that a law that punishes hate crimes should not be passed.
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Free Speech
2199 Words | 5 Pages
When you think about America, the first thing that comes to mind is liberty. Liberty of the government and its citizens is one thing that colonists exceedingly desired during the British oppressive regime. When United States gained independence, the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution of the Unites States, a document that has been governing our country for more than 200 years. The constitution was drafted accordingly to ensure that people’s opinions were heard. What our Founding Fathers could not foresee is that in our 21st century, The Freedom of Speech not only gives a person such a massive power, but also an opinion even if it is immoral and goes against citizens’ values.
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Free Speech
1005 Words | 3 Pages
Freedom, equality, independence, and righteousness are common terms associated with the beautiful country of America. Many immigrants and foreigners have embarked on the journey to reach the beautiful valleys and gardens of a country built on values such as unity and individualism. The statue of Liberty, alone, is the universal symbol for freedom which stands in the heart of New York City greeting thousands of immigrants each year; embodying hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life in America. It stirs the desire for freedom in people all over the world; Muslims in Burma who fall under the threat of extortion, women in Egypt who are not given a voice, or people in South Africa who struggle to live because of ensuing rivalry battles. The United States is a safe haven on its own to millions across the world who are subjected to tyranny or despotism. If America is a place for opportunity and freedom to practice our own rights, then why should our institutions ban such an important emblem like freedom of speech? A quality so inherently important that molds the thoughts and personalities of our own students; the future of America. If our students are subjected to live in fear like the rest of the world, then how is America distinct from the oppressors and wrongdoers? How will our nation's colleges and universities fuel the curiosities of future healers and entrepreneurs without letting them question the status quo and think freely?
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Violation Of The Constitution In George Orwell's 1984
1238 Words | 3 Pages
For example, in regards of the first amendment, it does not protect a person against libel, meaning, “defamation of a person’s character or reputation” (Turner et al 66). The idea of equally protecting people’s rights is important, and therefore, even if an individual expresses a negative outlook towards another individual without actually posing a threat, then there should be no harm in doing so. The Constitution does not favor the good from the bad,
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Freedom Of Speech

Village Of Skokie Essay

Derek Bok's Prohibiting Hate Speech?