Free Speech : A Free Society

Freedom of speech is defined by the first amendment as “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of

After reading the transcript of the speech, “The Spirit of Liberty”, given by federal judge for more than 50 years, Learned Hand, who served most of the time on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, my idea of what it means to be an American was slightly shifted. The statement made by Hand which really caught my attention was, “What do we mean when we say that first of all we seek liberty? I often wonder whether we do not rest our hopes too much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes.” I agree with Hand in the sense that the constitution can only serve purpose to our country if we, as Americans, learn to be truly accepting.

thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably assemble, and to petition

Freedom of speech, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment is a primary tenant among the liberties our forefathers intended to be bequeathed to future generations of Americans. They sought a world better than the one that they were born or immigrated into under British rule.

In order to keep our government accountable to the people, the people need the information to form an educated opinion and the right to speak openly amongst each other. Some of the areas of expression are: public school student expression, free speech on public college campuses, internet blogs and social media, freedom of speech through the arts, public expression through the media: such as bumper stickers, fliers, leaflets, and yard signs, adult entertainment, and advertising. Other forms of speech are actions like, censoring books and content in public libraries and schools, flag burning, wearing armbands, and other symbolic gestures of protesting. The freedoms granted to us through the First Amendment have protected areas of expression, but there are also expressions and actions that are not protected by the First Amendment. These have been

The First Amendment of the constitution is the most significant political statement in the history of the United States. The ability to speak freely is a value that is cherished by most American citizens. In many countries around the world, people are sent to prison, or even executed, for expressing opinions not shared by the government. In the United States, any government official, no matter how powerful, must abide by the opinions of the people, even when those opinions are brutal, or even unfair. Free speech is probably the best known and most revered of our constitutional rights in the U.S., but it not always easy to define what exactly is speech. As humans, we have many ways of expressing our thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. Especially, since we are part of an innovative society that is constantly evolving.

The original intent of the clause of freedom of speech is difficult to point-out. There were several

Many people come to the United States looking for freedom and liberty and where their essential rights are protected under the Constitution. However, freedom should not be taken for granted as for every rule there may be limits. The First Amendment of the United States’ Constitution 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 of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (Corwin 48). In other words, the First Amendment granted freedom of religion, speech, press, peaceful assembly, and petition. The First Amendment is clear enough for anyone to comprehend and process easily; however, people sometimes misunderstand their rights by doing what their First Amendment right does not protect, especially when it comes to freedom of speech. Seven of the most important law cases in the United States’ history are what shaped the American’s society and allowed people to hopefully know and recognize their limits and restrictions when it comes to their speech whether it was a literal speech or a symbolic speech.

The First Amendment protects any person’s freedom of speech from Congress, state government and local public officials. However, this does not allow individuals to be free in saying anything that they want to say. One example of speech that is not protected by the First Amendment are crimes involving speech. If a form of speech is used to commit a crime such as perjury, harassment or extortion, it will not be provided protection by the First Amendment. Another example is Conduct Regulations. Our government has the right to make laws in regards to the specific conduct used in the speech such as stating when, where and how the speech can be provided. These regulations can be upheld by courts as long as they considered content-neutral and are not constraining the expression of ideas. For example, they are allowed to limit the size of collateral used for speech and are also able to limit the level of sound in speech that can be heard at distinct times.

In this paper I will describe the original intent of the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to privacy, and criminals’ rights. I will explain current views of the provisions of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to privacy, and criminals’ rights. I will assess which events and opinions have changed the intent of each of these provisions over time. I will evaluate the effects of Supreme Court decisions related to these provisions and express consideration for the future of these provisions.

Free speech is a fundamental piece of American society; however, it has become a very controversial idea. In recent years several “free-speech” protests have risen, many breaking out in violence. With all the arguments about free speech erupting in America it is important to keep in mind that the first amendment is very broad, and has very few and very specific limitations; thus, very seldom does an individual person or group have the right to stop another from speaking.

The NYU Press published this book by John Denvir in May 2010. This particular chapter speaks about the First Amendment of a person’s right to free speech. It talks about the history of the First Amendment, and the fact that before the free speech was an act all citizens had the right to practice, the US Government would often use national security as grounds to persecute certain individuals, especially in the time of the Cold War.

The First Amendment protects U.S. citizens right to give their opinion and express themselves without the government getting involved. The right of free speech includes much more expressions that convey a message. Although the First Amendment protects the right of free speech, the Supreme Court perceived that the government may forbid some speech that could eventually cause disturbance to the public or cause any violence. The type of protection speech receives is also determined on the seminar as to which it takes place (First Amendment).

Simply put, free speech and its integral role in free society is fading, or rather: free society itself is fading. In our homes, we sit in our leather recliners with a can of forget and a bowl of regret, our mouths wide open, our eyes peeled watching our American gods of knowledge and opinion as they place their words into our mouths, into our hearts, and into our brains. And by our gods, we learn of our true identity - our box that our features and characteristics place us in, what we should really be thinking about, and which side of the political "fiesta" that we should be falling for. Likewise, the young adults in American Colleges are being taught standards of socio-ethical appeasement and continuing these “skills” from college into their daily lives: the fabric of American Society, which is a primary factor in the end of the First Amendment right of the American public. The American population is not only controlled (socio-politically) by the desires and politicization in the industries of advertisement and entertainment but also the “corrupted” situation of the American college, which are both extending the dissolution of free speech in the United States.

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an established religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof'; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." This amendment, founded on the strong and open minds of the Founding Fathers, made certain that free speech be incorporated into America's free and democratic society.