Free Speech Essay

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Under the constitution, every American has the right of free speech, but does free speech matter if no one can hear it? “Free Speech for sale” reveals the painful truth that free speech, and the certainty that one will be heard, is guaranteed only to those who can afford it. And corporations can afford it. Whether through purchasing massive amounts of advertising for political purposes, or by owning the companies that bring people the news, powerful corporations are able to drown out the voices that disagree with them - and it's all perfectly legal. To me, this situation calls into question how true our democracy really is. Are we as the voters receiving the thorough information we need to make decisions? Or are we being fed censored or

In light of the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo Headquarters in early 2015, the topic of free speech seemed to regalvanize. This conversation will only pick up more momentum and fully convicted sentiments with the rise of social movements like the Black Lives Matter and Social Justice Warrior movements. Edward Morrisey writes his article, The Coming Demise of Free Speech in America, to share information regarding the first amendment, respective court cases, and the results of an implementation of a hypothetical ‘hate speech’ law.

Freedom of speech is something that, traditionally, has been unique to the United States. In fact, it was one of the founding principles of our country. It was the group of repressed colonists that decided that they would no longer accept the fact that they were not allowed to speak out against the throne. They decided that they would not accept not being able to denounce the Church of England. And on July 4, 1776, what could be seen as one of the boldest forms of speech ever ensured that never again would American's be subject to the harsh regulation of Great Britain. Then, in 1789, our nation's forefathers made it official with the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, including the first of ten amendments:

The United States Bill of Rights consists of ten commandments these commandments hold society’s terms to freedom and government power. One of the liberties Americans have is the freedom of speech. Free speech in America means citizens have the right to express there opinions to any group as long as it does not end up in violence. This however does not mean we should say whatever we want but the first ammendment gives us that right. However, this freedom draws to question societies regulation. Although, the freedom of speech amendment is crucial to our basic human rights, it also allows for hate groups such as the ku lux Klan, and neo Nazis to rise.

In the US Constitution, our first amendment states: “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.” To place it is simpler terms, any person in the United States of America has the freedom to express their opinions in any way they want, without the threat of the government oppressing them. We are the only nation in the world with this amplification in our constitution. It frames us to be a source for many to express their own opinions freely. The first amendment has been a hot topic of discussion in the United

(American Association of University professors) “ Words are often chosen as much for their emotion as their cognitive force” (AAUP 173). Although this is true university's have gone too far in limiting students speech. In 2015 a student organization at the University of Oregon put up anti-abortion signs and they were torn down by fellow students. Campus police believed these actions were justified. “What I'm here to tell you is that on campus we have additional rules other than just freedom of speech” (Soave Hit and Run). The school released no statement on behalf of the police officer which led the organization to conclude the school was okay with what was said. Abortion is a painful topic but what the

Our forefathers worked to ensure we could enjoy civil liberties that they were unable to under British rule. In the First Amendments one of the liberties detailed is freedom of speech, specifically in that Congress will not enact a law that is “abridging the freedom of speech.” In 1925 the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment applies to each state ensuring that the constitutional right to free speech is protected from interference by the government. Freedom of speech can only be upheld so long as the content of which does not violate the law.

Speech is something that has existed since the beginning of time. However, the idea that speech is a given right is a relatively new idea and is not something all hierarchies stress, especially in impoverished countries. There have been historic events such as the Emancipation Proclamation in which Abraham Lincoln not only gave freedom to slaves but the same rights only few enjoyed, including the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is more than just a right, it a right to challenge others opinions and voice our own. The First Amendment has given us the right to speak freely. “[It] guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids the congress from promoting one religion over the other and also restrict an individual’s religious practices” by constitution project website. We Americans have the right to voice our opinion, as well as express our beliefs regardless of what they might be. When higher education censors our speech and tell us what our duty to believe is, they then hinder the learning process. In reality, the duty of a higher education should be to expand what we deem as truth but to also challenge our beliefs, so that we can grow and open our minds to beliefs that we might see as contradictory to our values and principles, thereby making us a better well rounded human being.

Speech is the expression of or the ability to express thoughts and feelings by articulate sounds. The foundation of our country was creating for the sole purpose of speaking out against Britain. Our country’s freedom of speech is a key reason as to why foreigners want to gain citizenship. During the making of our country's Constitution, the founding fathers had to limit what rules would be placed on colonists and Americans later to come. Freedom of speech was on of the first thoughts that went through their heads. Thus, the reason that our “freedom of speech” can not be denied to citizens according to the first amendment.

Especially in modern day America, freedom of speech is more prevalent than ever, with the rising division in American politics. In which, there are many Americans with different opinions who are unwilling to truly listen to each other, which greatly affects what freedom of speech truly means today. Therefore, all Americans need to be willing to listen to all types of speech, whether it is hateful or not. In fact, it is clear to see why some Americans would take offense to some of the hateful words that are said to them, as no one would want to experience some of the words that are exchanged. However, all Americans need to realize the significance that freedom of speech has in the lives of everyone, and without it no one would be heard. Since, freedom of speech is part of the first amendment of the constitution, one of the founding ideals of America, which it would would not be to anyone's benefit to limit it now. Additionally, all Americans need to be open to listening to other people with differing views on politics or values, otherwise, freedom of speech will no longer mean freedom of speech. In which, change will be achieved, once Americans accept the fact that hate speech is protected under the first amendment. Where the solution to this problem is for both parties to come to an agreement that all speech is speech, whether it be in a hateful manner or not. Without this acceptance, there will be no freedom of speech at all, as it would be limited and censored greatly, in

In the wake of appalling British tyranny, the founding fathers took an unthinkable step forward, signing a revolutionary constitution, which guaranteed previously unestablished rights to the populace of America. Chiefly, the constitution included the absolute assurance of the freedom of speech. The American Dream is inseparably intertwined with this right, as the allure of America can be summarized in the unwavering belief in freedom of thought, alongside open and impartial democracy, and with the ability to “pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps” into prosperity. However, in these turbulent times, such rights have come under attack. More and more emboldened groups espoused controversial speech, dubbed hate speech, and subsequently faced backlash in the form of censorship from organizations such as universities and internet service providers. As a result, these groups trample people’s unalienable rights to free speech, not unlike authoritarian regimes throughout history. Despite the potential hate speech which arises from free speech, the protection of all speech is essential to America’s freedoms and democracy.

A girl is crying quietly to herself staring at her computer. You see on the screen that an anonymous person named “SilentNight” is sending messages that contain content shaming this girl for how she would never accomplish anything in life. These occurrences in the United States happen regularly. 1 in 4 teenagers have been cyberbullied one point or another. Freedom of speech is being misused because you can say whatever you want no matter how extreme, it is creating cyberbullying and cyberstalking and incites strong emotions in those affected.

In 399 BC Socrates stood in front of the jury at his trial and defied the code of the Hellenic order. In 1663 the great scientist Galileo hauled before the Vatican after claiming the sun does not revolve around the earth. In 1770, the French philosopher, Voltaire writes in a letter: 'Monsieur l'abbé, I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. In 1791 The First Amendment of the US Bill of Rights guarantees four freedoms: of religion, the press, the right to assemble and most important speech. Seeing that these events were momentul to our progression as society, this effortlessly answers the question; freedom of speech is fundamental in our progression as a society.

A long, long time ago our fore fathers sat down and drafted the most influential document of our lives as Americans, The Constitution. In this historical guideline for a free society the first Amendment deals with what they thought was a main need in our society that did not necessarily exist in other cultures at that time. This main need was free speech. Since this document was put into place, the issue of free speech has been heatedly debated among the common public, big business, and worldwide industries. The government has always been the moderator in cases dealing with free speech, much like when the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) fought diligently to get the government to mandate warning labels on media containing adult