Freedom of speech has been part of a controversial debate for many decades. Whether or not limitations should be placed on people’s freedom to voice their opinions has become a compelling discussion. The fact is that people feel that they have the right to full freedom of speech under the first Amendment. But the dangers of speaking ones mind did not present itself when the first Amendment was first created and now more than ever many view their freedom to speak as a tool to hurt others. So there should be limits on our freedom of speech because actions may speak louder than words but words have the power to hurt more.
People have always valued their right to speak their mind. According to The Bill of Rights Institute, the Bill
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When the Bill of Rights was first passed it was intended to protect individual rights so that Congress couldn’t freely make laws that hurt the citizens of a state. The first Amendment says, “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…” putting a limit on government power but when our founding fathers were creating the Bill of Rights they did not realize what giving the people full freedom to speak meant. Years later when America was vulnerable to a war with France people started speaking out in favor of the French so in 1798 President John Adams passed the Sedition Act. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Sedition Act was “a law restricting freedom of speech” because at that time they needed the people to stop going against the government and trust them to protect their rights but instead the people started speaking out in a harsh …show more content…
In actuality it should be encouraged so that people don’t bottle up their feelings. People need to express their opinions otherwise we would all listen to one person and not think for ourselves. But then you have those who speak with no filter; those who spit out words just to see someone crumble to the ground; those who we call bullies. According to Loyola University Chicago “The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of expression” yet we see how this guaranteed freedom often leads “to dire consequences, such as grief-induced suicides.” Since the beginning of time we’ve had people who would misuse their freedom of speech by judging others out loud with no shame but instead a feeling of pride and they defend themselves by saying that they have the right to say what they want, when they want. These people know nothing of the person they are laughing at or pushing around, they just feel they can so they will. For example, in the Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, when Hester was released from prison the women in the crowd yelled to each other (page 61) “Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment?” The women in the crowd judged her by how perfect she made the Scarlet Letter look and shouted to each other how the letter is not enough of a punishment. They called her names and judge her sin yet
The freedom of speech is one of the most precious rights that the United States citizens have. Unlike many other countries, the United States citizens have the freedom to speak their minds and to give their opinions on anything as long as it is done in a peaceful manner without having any fear of governmental retaliation. “The First Amendment guarantees our right to free expression and free association, which means that the government does not have the right to forbid us from saying what we like and writing what we like.” This does not mean that a person can say whatever he or she wants to say, but rather that a person’s right to say something is protected within certain limits.
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, 2018). Consequently, this sole clause
Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that “congress shall make no law
The original intent of the clause of freedom of speech is difficult to point-out. There were several
America was built on freedom. Freedom to speak, freedom to choose, freedom to worship, and freedom to do just about anything you want within the law. America’s law was designed to protect and preserve these freedoms. The reason the United States of America came to exist was because the colonists fled Great Britain to get back the freedoms that were taken away from them by the Monarchy. In countries where Monarchies and Dictatorships rule, there is little if any freedom to speak of. Citizens of these countries are persecuted or even killed if they attempt to exercise any of the basic freedoms. In these countries there is no free speech, no right to choose government, no right to express religion, no right to own
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. It reinforces all other human rights, allowing society to develop and progress. The ability to express our opinion and speak freely is essential to bring about change in society.” Freedom of Speech grants you the right and privilege to speak your mind without facing any type of consequence . I strongly believe that censorship and the lack of free speech can and will cause a negative effect on our world.
The first amendment of the Bill of Rights to the constitution guarantees four freedoms: freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly. The Bill of Rights was passed on December 15, 1791. Since then, the freedoms have been debated, discussed, and fought and died for. Many have immigrated to America to receive those freedoms. The Founding Fathers knew what they were doing because they believed in power of ideas and debate, not censorship. The first amendment to the constitution is important because it prohibits congress from establishing an official religion in the U.S., gives Americans the freedom to say what is on their minds, and gives the right to petition and assemble peacefully.
Words can build or break an individual. Growing up I was taught to keep any harmful comments to myself, nevertheless many individuals seem to have no regard of what others think or how their words can harm them. Through words Martin Luther King was able to stand up against segregation. Through words Abraham Lincoln was able to unite the nation after the civil war. Words are a powerful weapon and if used unjustly, it can be the downfall of someone or a nation. We have no right to libel, slander, or harm one another, yet when one does they say they were “voicing their opinions.” It is sad to see individuals “protesting” by breaking businesses windows, trashing the streets, harming police officers and harming other citizens. How is this voicing their opinion? Why shall one trash the streets of our nation, our home, and declare it’s freedom of speech. Like it or not we must understand that police officers and citizens who don’t see our view on things also have the right to voice their opinion. Our nation came together because of our differences; however, we gladly push someone down who doesn’t have the same mindset as
Too often conversations are taken as harmful hate speech that needs to be censored. Although a large amount of things that people find offensive are completely unnecessary we can’t go censoring it to make the problem go away. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can say anything you want to say but it does mean that you have the right to say most things, and most times speech cannot be censored no matter how appalling it is. Sometimes speech needs to be censored, but there is a big difference between illegal and legal speech that we need to make sure we know.
The right to free speech is one of the most precious rights an individual has as a citizen of the United States of America. This right gives people the opportunity to speak their mind and give their opinions of what they think should happen. These rights have been questioned and debated throughout history, and have produced extremely positive things in a lot of cases. The controversy of these rights are not secluded to one era of time; they have been questioned many different times, in many different ways. In modern times, people are always protesting something and in the colonial times it was the same. People wanted their voice to be heard and as long as it is done in a peaceful manner it is legal now, but it resulted in punishment for the colonists. People have never wondered whether or not these rights should exist, the questions involve whether there should be limits or not. I believe that there should be limits on what you can and can’t say, just like there is a limit on what you can and can’t do.
Centuries ago in American society, individuals were not granted the free will to act and speak freely. First Amendment rights allowed citizens to do so. On a historical outlook, the oppressed fought for the rights of various groups in the United States. Although laws and situations evolve, groups in America continue to face inequality and issues with freedom of speech. There is room for further improvement; freedom for all citizens needs to be fulfilled. The impression of being free is what gives the United States the ideology of being a part of a democracy. Recent events have revealed issues with freedom of speech and questioning about what kinds of speech is protected. In order to close the gap in
This year’s election alone has brought about many emotions and deep rooted feelings that have not come out in years. Hate speech and actions carried out because of hate speech has cause a deep division in American culture. Groups like “Black Lives Matter”, “All Lives Matter”, and “Alt-Right” are all under fire for things that have been said or done in the names of these groups. There has been terrorist attacks in the names of religious groups whom believe that a newspaper or group has insulted their religion, beliefs, and gods. Not to mention our own President Elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has been accused of fueling much of the hate speech we see today. This begs the question, should freedom of speech have any restrictions or be limited in any way, or is that unconstitutional? To look at this we must first identify what “Freedom of Speech” is as defined in the constitution and how it relates to current issues in the world and in America, then I will talk about some situations where regulation is already put in place in America, lastly we will look at some situations where I believe freedom of speech could use some clarification or restriction.
On this world today free speech has been a standout amongst the most battled after rights in the United Conditions of America. The right to speak freely was received on December 15, 1791. The right to speak freely is secured by the main correction in the Constitution of United States, which is the privilege to explain one’s suppositions and thoughts without dread of government countering or control, or societal endorse. Free discourse is imperative in the public arena since we are allowed to create as individuals and end up noticeably mindful of what is happening around us. The right to speak freely played an extremely vital part in how and our identity today and is the principle motivation behind why we
Why should it be restricted? People have a right to say whatever they want to say. No one has the right to stop them. Sometimes the world may not like some of the opinions people voice, or the words that they use, but this is absolutely no reason to have the government trample people's natural rights. What about it needs to be restricted? Freedom of speech can help the world change. But like BIG said “we can’t change the world unless we change ourselves”. For example, how can a preacher have the right to express/voice his opinion about some but the congregation can’t. Maybe that’s a bad example ha-ha but you get what I’m trying to say. Where can it be restricted at? It can be restricted in the White House. Presidents don’t realize how powerful there tongue is. Like for instance Donald Trump dissing Steph like that come on man you’re the president. As much as I dislike Steph, the way he handle it people couldn’t do nothing but respect him. It’s probably so much going on in that place with Trump. But see now this comes back to things that we have no control over its done now he’s the man in charge either get with it or get gone. Just have to pray that he doesn’t make a decision that he’ll regret. Who should restrict it? If they were to be restricted the president should be the first to do so. Donald
Freedom of speech was added to The Constitution of the United States on December 15th, 1791 as well as freedom of religion, press and the right to assemble. It became the first amendment of the Bill of Rights and was ratify by James Madison, one of the most important authors of The Constitution, at the first congressional meeting where he proposed and later established nine more amendments, in order to please the Anti- federalist and continue with the new form of government. Madison wanted to make sure that the people needed to be protected not only from the federal government but also the state government; however, by the time the colonies separated from Britain, many of the political views was still practice and mainly call republicanism. Republicanism meant that the popular sovereignty was an important aspect of politics, it was ruled by the people but at that time it was believed that people needed to satisfied not their own necessities or believes but the communities. Since this was the ideology behind the freedom of speech, the laws was not as protecting as they are today. Many like President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson used this right to try silence the opposite critics towards the new government and the kind of words use to describe the opposition. Freedom of speech is more protected now than it was before, people in the colonies were getting out of a government where the King didn’t listen to the public request. The founding fathers wanted