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Dangers Of Freedom Of Speech

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Hate Speech Should Be Outlawed

As an American citizen, you are entitled to freedom of speech due to the first amendment. This amendment allows you to express any opinion openly without restraint. This freedom can be taken too far however as it becomes hateful, offensive, or threatening, this is referred to as hate speech. Hate speech is usually based off of gender, race, religious group, or sexual orientation. Hate speech is legal due to the freedoms of the first amendment, but some extents of hate speech should be outlawed due to the offensive nature of it and the dangers that may come with it. The right of freedom of speech is the ability to express one’s opinions without fear of government retaliation or censorship and social sanction. Basically this is the right to have your own opinions and be able to express them without interference from anyone. This right includes the ability to speak freely, to not speak, to protest, and it also protects the right to receive information. This right does not include the use of words that incite actions that could harm others and it doesn’t protect obscene materials and speeches. Though freedom of speech is a heavily protected right, there are many exclusions and limitations. Some of these limitations include false statements of facts, obscenity, fighting words and offensive speech, and speech owned by other. All of these types of speech that are not protected under freedom of speech are punishable actions.
Fighting words are not a form of speech that is protected by freedom of speech. Fighting words are speech that can incite an immediate breach of peace between individuals, possibly provoking a fight. This form of speech is dangerous because it can easily cause a fight between two individuals resulting in harm. Obscenity is also not protected by the first amendment. Obscene speech is a form of speech the depicts highly sexual content and appeals to prurient interests. Obscene materials are not allowed in public since it has a possibility to corrupt and debase an individual. The first amendment also does not protect the use of false statements of fact. False statement of facts is speech containing inaccurate facts that are used to hurt someone’s reputation.

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