The Pros And Cons Of Freedom Of Speech

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Where the press is free and every man is able to read, all is safe”. In his quote, Thomas Jefferson is referring to freedom of speech. Freedom of speech also referred to as freedom of expression (Roleff). The freedom of speech is an unalienable right given to every citizen of the United States of America. The Bill of Rights, which includes the first amendment, was drafted in 1789 and adopted in 1791. In 1925, the United States Supreme Court declared the freedom of speech as a civil liberty. In conclusion, state governments had to allow freedom of speech because the fourteenth amendment protected it. This paper will explain the origination of freedom of speech and arguments for free speech as well as restrictions,

Therefore, here I will explain the origination of freedom of speech. Freedom of Speech, as I had mentioned before, is included in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights, which was adopted in 1791. From the start, freedom of speech only applied to the federal government, meaning that state government did not have to follow the laws of freedom of speech (Litz). This changed though after the Civil War ended in 1868. The fourteenth amendment was adopted and it stated that states may not “deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law” (Roleff). The court case of Gitlow v. New York (1925), set the tone for this by saying that free speech is a liberty protected by the fourteenth

Lastly, freedom of speech is essential for social change (Litz). What does this mean? In order for people to change, the freedom of speech for everyone is critical. One thing that someone might not know is that the freedom of speech is considered to be either a human right or a human liberty. This means that the freedom of speech is a right given to everyone, which is also protected (Roleff). Some may think that freedom of speech is a bad thing, but the arguments for it are endless and it can not be