Free Speech : The Importance Of The Freedom Of Speech

Over time the Supreme Court has decided that certain aspects of freedom of speech are more important than others. For example, if someone used their First Amendment rights to lie about things they knew were false, threatened to commit a crime, insult another person, or used overly explicit content, the courts have moral grounds to prosecute those persons. It makes sense that if someone’s freedom of speech lessened another person’s right to freedom of religion or freedom of opinion by instilling fear, that is an unfair use of the First Amendment. These parameters, although not specifically outlined in the Bill of Rights are very important to protect everyone’s right to feel safe believing the things that they do.

Being expression one of the most important rights of the people to maintain a connected society right to speech should be accepted to do so. The first amendment is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals have. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. This amendment describes the principal rights of the citizens of the United States. If the citizens were unable to criticize the government, it would be impossible to regulate order. By looking freedom of speech there is also freedom of assembly and freedom of press that are crucial for the United States democracy.

The First Amendment, in substance, does not provide absolute protection for all forms of speech, press, assembly, petition and association. It is not absolute. As a balance for interest of speech against competing government interest, an evolution of balancing tests were created and modified by the Supreme Court hence the Free Speech Clause.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution gives the American people the right to Freedom of Speech, as stated in the Constitution: “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.” What is Freedom of Speech? It is the right to both verbal and non-verbal communication of thoughts and ideas. The people of America have the right to Freedom of Thought and Freedom of Expression.

Throughout the years, the first amendment of the United States constitution has protected the right of freedom of speech,giving our community the privilege of express our thoughts without fear of being punished. The United States first amendment gives the people the privilege to express their thoughts without fear of punishment. The first amendments has brought a massive controversy in the society and between countries. Freedom of speech gives the people liberty, but in some instances should be limited because individuals have used it as an excuse to freely discriminate races, religions and others sexual orientation; however, it should not be limited in certain cases like people protesting for their rights in a positive way, without prejudice

The Unites States is known for our revolutionary thinking and just legal system. Our constitution establishes fundamental laws and guarantees basic rights for citizens in our national government. I find the First Amendment of the constitution quite interesting. It 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.” This law establishes a standard for guaranteeing ones right of expression and free speech without prosecution from the law. Freedom of speech has been a subject of discussion for many years. Since democracy was established to provide safety and rights, the First Amendment has been one of the most important rights in our constitution. In other countries, they have certain levels of tolerance when it comes to executing this right. Sometimes freedom of speech can become more harmful than helpful and many people have been vocal on their opinion whether or not it should be limited in certain circumstances. This amendment was put in place because prior to our free nation, being legally prosecuting for you own expression of religion or preference in politics was not uncommon. This revolutionary idea of immunity from persecution, created a society that was more tolerant towards other cultures, religions and traditions. This tolerance and freedom that the right gave us proved to be largely beneficial for a society as a whole. Even though we are granted this privilege many people aren’t’ as lucky to exercise, we must be aware that this right can also be seen as a double-edged sword, that can create problems and outcries if others feel their personal liberties aren’t being honored in the same regard. This right may seem simple and self-explanatory, but there are common misconceptions and challenges that us as a democracy face. Even though freedom of speech is a defining and fundamental right in our country, it’s components are largely controversial at times.

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 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.” I am a strong supporter of free speech. Often times I am in complete disagreement with what is being said, but I realize others have just as much right as me to share their thoughts and opinions. If they are stifled, I will be also.

The First Amendment, freedom of speech, has proven to have made a tremendous impact on our history and the course we have taken. Our country has been transformed throughout history to appreciate the different cultures, religions, and traditions; from a simple act as speaking up to what we think is right we have seen our nation grow and prosper. As citizens, we are entitled to express our opinions and this right must be respected. However, we have taken advantage of this amendment. Nowadays, freedom of speech has become more destructive than supportive. Freedom of speech means giving everyone a chance to speak up; this does not give us the right to harm other individuals.

The United States Constitution grants American citizens the freedom of speech. This single line in the First Amendment has been a staple of American culture since its ratification on December 15, 1791 (Constitution Center, 2018). The Founders recognized the significance of this freedom and the power it had to shape a young nation. It was George Washington who declared-“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter” (Global Research, 2016). The legal definition of this vision is “the right to express information, ideas, and opinions- free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). This sole clause has been the subject

I truly believe that the first amendment is the most valuable and crucial to our society today. Personally, the aspect of free speech and right to petition and assemebly gives this country a unique power to it's people that many oppressed people around the world wished they had. Just recently in this country we have had assemblies such as Occupy Wall street, Alt-Right/Neo Nazi rallys and so on. In many countries, governments and the powers that be squash any vocal crtisims or opposing opinions that don't follow thier ideals such as Russia, North Korea, and so on. I come from Egypt and I have family that were terrified of speaking out against Morsi and his regime. Even though i don't aways agree with what people are saying, I truely respect and cherise my rights and others rights to speak thier minds. However, i also do believe that free speech has been under attack by both liberals and conservatives to further thier own agendas, it's both ironic, hypocritical and very scary.

I know free speech is a touchy topic with arguments detailing many issues relating to speech, but, there have been problems with both sides. To my knowledge, free speech is an essential part of most democratic countries, outlining what speech is okay. Freedom of speech being important to the safety of citizens and helping to protect their rights. Although freedom of speech

Established in the Constitution, written in 1787, the Constitution guaranteed the citizens of the United States the rights of freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly in the First Amendment etched in the Bill of Rights. Throughout history, many Americans have experienced restrictions of freedom of speech during the United States earliest years as a country. John Adams, the second president of the United States, established the Alien and Sedition Act, which impeded upon Free Speech by restricting citizens from criticizing the government and president of their actions. Therefore, through the 1st Amendment, citizens should remain protected of their liberties in every aspect until they confiscate others of their liberties, and it should protect hate speech unless an individual’s liberties are in danger or under threat. The Supreme Court should define hate speech as threats that present another individual in obvious peril.

"Freedom of speech, the most precious amendment in the United States Constitution. Why? Because without our freedom to share our opinions, write our thoughts, tell our stories, challenge other thoughts, processes, and even our government, we would be chained by the slavery of control and censorship. Yes, maybe a bit dramatic but as a female mixed race student athlete I think my life would be very different without my first amendment right of Freedom of Speech. My ancestors were slaves to other human beings. Without a voice, without the right to say yes, or no, or maybe. No voice, no opinion, no significance. WRONG!

European thinkers such as John Locke began to discuss freedom of speech as a basic human right, a necessity for a free and thriving society and a well governed country. In the United States, freedom of speech is split into three categories: fully protected, limited protected, and unprotected speech. Freedom of speech does not exactly mean that one can or do whatever they want at all times, which is why there are these several categories that specify what is protected by the First Amendment, and what is not. A 1969 court decision Tinker vs. Des Moines is a great example of what qualifies as protected speech. On the other side, Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire in 1942 showed that the Supreme Court has recognized several limited exceptions to First Amendment protection. Freedom of Speech is so very important because if people cannot express themselves, then they can never reach and realize their full potential. Therefore, in my opinion, it is simply immoral to rob people of their right to say what they want to say.