preview

Free Speech : Pornography And The Freedom Of Speech

Decent Essays

Free Speech
Freedom of speech is a constitutional right that many individuals benefit from. While this clause exists within the laws of the land, it is a source of constant debates. It is expressed that free speech overrides any form of restriction except whenever it is intended to harm another individual. The line between restriction and freedom is hazy regarding how much freedom is sufficient to warrant restriction. John Stuart Mill argues that “we are never justified in silencing the expression of an opinion, even if the view is patently false. We can, however, control when and how someone expresses an opinion” (LaFollette 346). This indicates that people should be permitted to express themselves in whatever language or form in which they wish. Pornography often comes up in conversations involving freedom of speech, as one of the rights to which people should be allowed. Bristol argues that pornography harms women in the sense that it “glorifies rape of and violence towards women” (LaFollette 346). This opinion bifurcates people into two types: those who feel that pornography should be legalized as it is a part of free speech and those such as Bristol who feel otherwise. Speech and expression entails all forms of action and verbal talk that is meant to raise one’s concerns regarding a particular issue, and should be treated with high and unrestricted regard. The exception includes cases in which they are meant to cause harm to other individual, whether in the short or

Get Access