Free Speech Controversy

Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. Whether or not on a college campus, people (especially college students) should have the right to speak freely. Everyone does have the right to speak freely, because it is one of the twenty-seven amendments. Colleges all around the United States are now home to many restrictions on free speech. For example, the idea and use of “free speech zones” has made its way to colleges everywhere. A “free speech zone” is a sidewalk sized place where students are allowed to speak their minds freely on college campuses. I know what you’re thinking. This sounds ridiculous. Why are there specific places for people to speak their minds? Aren’t colleges suppose to be a place where students speak their minds and learn new things? Universities should not be able to put any restrictions on free speech.

Under the First Amendment’s Free Speech Clause a public flag burning in protest of a recently enacted law would protected because it is a form of expression (Hall, 2015). The Supreme Court has recognized more than just spoken words are protected rights under the Free Speech Clause, and freedom of expression through acts are included, so flag burning is a protected right (Hall, 2015). Next, an advertisement for potato chips found on a billboard is also protected under the Free Speech Clause. The advertisement is considered visual and written expression, which is a protected form of expression (Hall, 2015). Last, the placing of a hand over one’s heart while the national anthem is played is another form of nonverbal expression (Hall, 2015).

One of the most notable rights stated in our constitution is the right to free speech. That right is engrained in the minds of every American since the creation of America itself, but currently the right to free speech is being tossed aside in the fear of conflict with opposing ideas or offensive content. College universities specifically have taken steps to impede upon this right through speech codes and other acts that restrict the right to speak freely. American’s growing infringement upon the right of free speech in universities is creating a threat to American culture and the principles that it was founded upon; In order for our citizens to withhold their individuality, opinions, and culture free speech must be actively protected.

Freedom of speech in America is a right the American people are given through the First Amendment in Constitution but finding a balance with that and also protecting others from harassment is very important. Because the Constitution was written way before there was an internet and other technology, the time has come to put in place laws which honor our right to free speech while protecting us from the potential harm from criminal threats, cyber stalking, cyber harassment, sexual invasions of privacy and bias intimidation which is now possible and how it is even

Freedom of speech is one of the foundations that our founding fathers upon to make the great country we live in. Some people think that we need more limitations on this freedom then we already have or completely remove it (“Should Freedom of Speech be Restricted on College Campuses?”), but in reality that is not the truth. The truth is that we need to protect this right because there are people who have died trying to obtain and protect this right and every other right that we have in America, and to destroy it would be a waste of their sacrifice.

Recent events have found UC Berkeley embroiled in controversy regarding Free Speech; debate has flared over what Free Speech really means, where we draw the line between Free Speech and hate speech, and what the implications of this are regarding the speakers who have been invited to give speeches on campus. Protests on Sproul Plaza have been planned by students who feel that these speakers are espousing hate speech which especially targets marginalized communities on campus and in our country. To better understand the decisions students are making about whether to attend protests, Chancellor Christ and myself need to examine and explore two theories of behavior, egoistic and affective, that will give us insight into how students make

People in our society do not really have a say in what goes on in our community. “Unlike our colleagues, they had little trouble distinguishing corporations from human beings, and when they constitutionalized the right to free speech in the First Amendment, it was the free speech of individual Americans that they had in mind (Stevens, 115-116).” Society is manipulated into thinking the way government officials want voters to think. The society being those who work in government jobs are limited in what can be discussed amongst the world. This limit takes away workers and the community freedom of speech.

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.

When the Constitution was created, the first amendment stated that everyone in the United States has the freedom of speech; including Christians. Recently, there have been cases where Christians are being persecuted for their faith shown through what they have said and/or have done. This shows that Christians’ free speech is being violated.

Raphael Cohen-Almagor did a remarkable job at addressing the current state of affairs in the nation of Israel when it comes to the presence of hate speech against minorities and how to appropriately resolve issues of hate speech without infringing on the rights of free speech that is important for the existence of democracy. The purpose of using this document by Emily Foster is to use the contents of the article to help support their current position on the act of democratic censorship, but wither it be in a way to promote censorship in order to maintain order, or to remove censorship as a way to promote free speech is unclear to me.

I recognize your acknowledgment that freedom of speech is nothing more than the public society that have a conflicting opposition. I also understand that there is a line people will tend to cross when they become exasperated during a normal dispute in beliefs, and one party will usually concede from the conversation by insulting somebody directly. When two people can have conflicting arguments about topics that are debated on television news, it is in good practice for both parties to take the others opposing story into consideration. Although it is should not be received as evidence that you are being forced to agree with and depart from your initial statement. I have seen many people attempt to scrutinize others for believing in Christ, but

Freedom of speech is the most paramount aspect of establishing a functioning government. The right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint, or freedom of speech, has its origins dating back to the creation of the United States. Although the Articles of Confederation, the first form of government America instituted, did not acknowledge free speech, the new form of government that came subsequent, the Constitution, stressed the importance of freedom of expression. Consequently, a prosperous, and working society was forged out of the desires of the founding fathers to add free speech in America. Nonetheless, similar to most freedoms, there are limitations to the right of free speech. Because the United States grants freedom of

“What you are doing takes a lot of courage… There are already plenty of people fighting fire with fire, and it’s just not helping anyone or anything. So I’m just going to keep listening, with an open mind”; said Nate Boyer in a letter to Colin Kaepernick. In 2016 when Colin Kaepernick sat during the National Anthem to protest police brutality towards African Americans. In response some people were angry but Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret, wrote him a letter. In the letter he states that his initial reaction was one of anger but after looking at Kaepernick’s point of view he respects his opinion and supports his first amendment right. Kaepernick then invites Nate Boyer to join him on the sidelines for a game. Before the game the two come

Should the freedom of speech be protected? this is a question that many people ask and yes I feel that freedom of speech should be protected. The freedom of speech is something that many people have, but many people don't use for the greater good. Many people use it for racism against people such as journalist and news readers which can affect their wellbeing.

We live in an age of progress, though it sometime may feel as though we are quite the contrary. Many politicians and public icons talk of banning speech that they consider as “offensive language”, even going as far as to berate anybody who has used the word in the past. This seems out of the ordinary, as the United States’ First Amendment was created to oppose censoring language deemed as offensive, in favor of freedom of expression. So why are we moving towards the opposite? Hate speech, or any other “offensive language”, should remain under Freedom of Speech.