Introduction. The basic human right that is the most fundamental to any person’s every day life is undoubtedly freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is the inalienable right of any human being living in the 21st Century. Through freedom of speech, people can exercise their basic human need to communicate and express their own thoughts, ideas, opinions and feelings about things around them. It is the most integral factor for successful human communication and interaction. Democracy and politics all rely on different parties voicing their own opinion in order to reach a compromise that represents the majority. Education is based on people voicing their opinions and discussing them with other people in order to learn and grow from each other. And …show more content…
Such questions were related to the limits of one’s ability to speak freely, the possible negative effects of free speech, and whether all humans were entitled to free speech. Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Liberty Human Rights) states that “everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference”. Written in 1966, the ICCPR is a modern example of doctrines relating to freedom of speech. Articles written by cultures as early as the Ancient Greeks were found that aim to discuss the subject of freedom of speech. Since then, hundreds of declarations have been written up that address humans’ rights to express themselves freely and publicly without oppression (Liberty Human Rights). Those include the English Bill of Rights of 1689, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in 1789, and the revolutionary United States Universal Declaration of Human Rights of …show more content…
A prevalent example is the 14-minute anti-Islam video posted on YouTube in July 2012. That video became a subject of discussion in the UN, with both Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and US President Barrack Obama being present at the meeting on September 26 of the same year. This video led to violent riots in the Middle East. Moreover, protests took place in the USA because President Obama said that “[their] Constitution protects the right to practice free speech” (Outlook Afghanistan) even if it is offensive— and that was the reason why the video was not banned from YouTube. Another example where free speech led to negative outcomes is the Boston Bombing of April 15, 2013. The two bombers had made very sophisticated bombs and the FBI concluded that they must have underwent training. That training took place by communicating with terrorist organizations over the internet (Bloomberg). The CIA and FBI couldn’t do anything to stop this communication that led to the bombing because it is everyone’s freedom to speak to whoever they want over the internet according to US Constitution
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada, n.d. Web. 03 May 2014.
One key to the first amendment of the United states constitution is the right to free speech. Freedom of speech is what separates America than other countries around the world that forbid freedom of speech rights. Freedom of speech has been in our constitution since the year 1791. When James Madison “the father of the constitution” wrote the bill of rights he saw potential and that it would make the country more freedom filled than other countries. The land of the free is what the United States is nicknamed and it 's because of our rights to express ourselves as freely as we desire.
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:
According to the “Derechos, Human Rights”, freedom of speech is one of the most dangerous rights, because it means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. These types of rights are protected by ACLU and other type of organization like UNESCO. ACLU is “America’s nation's guardian of liberty”, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in America. Freedom of speech is a gift to human beings, without this right the people couldn’t express themselves or even worst, to say what they feel or want for a better life. United States is one of the countries that protect this right, but in the world there are governments that do not respect and do not know that this right exists. The relation between democratic government and freedom of speech is that they both depend in each other.
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
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.
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...
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...
The First Amendment protects the right of freedom of speech, which gradually merges into the modern perspective of the public throughout the history and present. The restriction over the cable TV and broadcast media subjected by the Federal Communications Commission violates the freedom of speech, irritating the dissatisfied public by controlling over what can be said on the air. Should the FCC interfere with the free speech of media? The discretion of content being presented to the public should not be completely determined by the FCC, but the public in its entirety which enforces a self-regulation with freedom and justice, upholding and emphasizing the freedom of speech by abolishing the hindrance the FCC brought.
Freedom of expression is an inalienable human right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression defines the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, association, and the corollary right to receive information. Human rights and intellectual independence; the two are inseparably linked. Freedom of opinion and determining what you want to read is not
"Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Jan. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. .
Freedom of Speech; it allows the free exchange of ideas necessary for effective decision –making and protects the minority from complete domination by the majority.
The Bill of Rights has gained existence since December 15, 1791. Being supported mainly by anti-federalists, the Bill of Rights upheld what was needed to protect individual liberty. From the ratification we have our first ten amendments. The most important and used today is the first amendment. The amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting… petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This amendment is very powerful but cannot be overly abused. Over time the freedom of speech has been constricted. There are many court cases that display the limitation of free speech. Environmental factors and certain materials are not covered in free speech. To understand our rights and know how and when our rights are limited, we must
Freedom of speech has many positive things, one of which is the help it gives on decision-making. Thanks to freedom of speech it is possible to express personal ideas without fear or restraints; therefore, all the perspectives and options will be on the table, giving people more opportunities to choose from. Nevertheless, everything in life has a limit, and the limit of freedom of speech depends directly on the consideration of the rights of others. People is free of believing what they want, thinking what they want, and even saying what they want, everything as long as they do not intrude or violate anyone else's rights. Under certain circumstances freedom of speech should be limited, and this is more than just a political action, this acts represent the urge for tolerance and the need for respect.