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Should free speech have limitations
Fredrick douglass essay on freedom
Fredrick douglass essay on freedom
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Freedom of speech is an essential pillar that the United States is built on. It has been a key factor in historical events. The inhibiting of free speech has been a major issue in the history of all time. Whether it be from the government directly banning free thoughts or people rioting because someone has a differing opinion from themselves it is all the same. The stopping of the spread of ideas of any kind is criminal in the United States but it continues to be a problem today. As freedom of speech is not only the right to say what is wanted, it is also the freedom to think how is wanted. This is a key part of any free thinking individual (Biddle). Freedom of speech overall is accepted widely but there are still instances in which it is …show more content…
Most well known ancient example happened with the Greek democracy in Athens. Legal reformer, Solon, changed the current laws of Athens to grant citizens more political freedom including the right to express opinion freely. Lower classes in ancient Greece culture were once considered not worth listening to. By allowing free speech, it decreased conflict greatly and allowed the civilization to develop. The philosophers who were responsible for the idea of free speech were considered revolutionaries of their time. The idea was so foreign that just the idea of it created a massive respect for the philosophers. Freedom of speech further developed in England in the 1600’s. The Petition of Right prevented English dignitaries from jailing citizens for expressing opposing opinions.The Bill of Rights was created in 1780’s in early America. Freedom of speech has become a focal point in modern American society. It separates America from a multitude of other countries throughout the world. According to a study done in 2010, 71% of Americans support the legal ability to say anything without the government interfering (“Freedom of Speech”). This shows how highly the American people hold the right to free speech. But what does freedom of really mean? There is a clear and concise textbook …show more content…
“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” Frederick Douglass was speaking on abolishing slavery in Boston when his meeting was broken up by a group of “gentleman” who claim to follow the law. They claimed since slavery was still legal they could not talk about abolishing it. Douglass had the counter argument that by claiming to be upholding one law, they “trampled under foot the law of free speech and the protection of public meetings”. This argument is very relevant in today's society as that very situation happens very often. Douglass was one of many influential leaders who used their right to free speech to move mountains. He is a prime example on how if freedom of speech is limited, history could have been immensely different. A key point made by Douglass is that by stopping someone from speaking about a controversial topic, more laws are being broken by the person impeding then by the person speaking (Douglass). This leads directly into real world modern examples happening in the United
“Everyone loves free expression as long as it isn't exercised” (Rosenblatt 501). In the article, We are Free to Be You, Me, Stupid, and Dead, Roger Rosenblatt argues for the people’s right to freedom of speech and expression, that is given by the U.S Constitution. Rosenblatt argues that freedom of speech is one of the many reasons the Founding Fathers developed this country. For this reason, Rosenblatt believes that we should be tolerant and accepting of other’s ideas and beliefs. Even if one does not agree with someone else, they need to be understanding and realize that people have differing opinions.
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.
1. The measure of a great society is the ability of its citizens to tolerate the viewpoints of those with whom they disagree. As Voltaire once said, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” (Columbia). This right to express one's opinion can be characterized as “freedom of speech.” The concept of “freedom of speech” is a Constitutional right in the United States, guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution:
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
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-
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
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
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).
On December 15, 1791, the first amendment- along with the rest of the Bill of Rights- was passed by congress. Although the amendment allows verbal freedom to the citizens of America, many argue that it also comes with great risks.The possibility of both mental and physical harm to citizens through the practice of free speech should be taken into consideration. Limiting free speech has potentially saved lives by monitoring what a person can or can not say that could cause distress to the public (e.g.- yelling “bomb” on an airplane). Others argue that the limitation of free speech will hinder our progress as a nation, and could potentially lead to our downfall through governmental corruption. In a society where the freedom of speech is a reality, one must question the risks and limits of that right.
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
Freedom of Speech means that everyone is entitled to having an opinion , and they are able to share this opinion in any way that they would like to - online on Facebook, in public on a street corner, or even just in a face-to-face conversation with someone else. There are many different kinds of people, all with their own opinions, beliefs, and ideas and in the United states, citizens are fortunate enough to be able to share these thoughts with anybody they want to, without fear of major repercussions.
Freedom of speech is the right of civilians to openly express their opinions without constant interference by the government. For the last few years, the limitations and regulations on freedom of speech have constantly increased. This right is limited by use of expression to provoke violence or illegal activities, libel and slander, obscene material, and proper setting. These limitations may appear to be justified, however who decides what is obscene and inappropriate or when it is the wrong time or place? To have so many limits and regulations on freedom of speech is somewhat unnecessary. It is understood that some things are not meant to be said in public due to terrorist attacks and other violent acts against our government, but everything should not be seen as a threat. Some people prefer to express themselves angrily or profanely, and as long as it causes no har...
In his article “ Free speech in political philosophy and its relation to American constitutional law: a consideration of Mill, Meiklejohn, and Plato “ Murray Dry (1994) argues that free speech is valued to everyone. The American Constitution's success, according to its Founders, required the people to understand the document. One telling argument for adding a bill of rights to the Constitution was "if a nation means its systems, religious or political, shall have duration, it ought to recognize the leading principles of them in the front page of every family book." (Constitutional commentary. 11.1, pg 81-100).
Based on the First Amendment, the government may not exercise any activities that interference freedom of speech of an individual. For Americans, freedom of speech is clearly become the most basic freedom. Everyone has always thinks freedom of speech is a basic right that everyone automatically has when they were born; on the other hand, freedom of speech is experiencing serious growing pains.
Freedom of speech cannot be considered an absolute freedom, and even society and the legal system recognize the boundaries or general situations where the speech should not be protected. Along with rights comes civil responsib...