preview

Racial Profiling

Good Essays
Open Document

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 …show more content…

It is better to look confident than to ask questions in this modern society. However, it is fear and uncertainty that lead mankind down dark paths. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said in Whitney v. California “…Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears” (Cornell Law School). The content of the books in Pico was morally unacceptable to a group of concerned parents, as they were afraid of the writers’ influence on their children. The question of morality policing by schools is seen in other banned book instances, as well. In fact, take Dr. Seuss’ classic The Lorax, a children’s book about conservation, or the 1987 American Heritage dictionary, which was banned for its addition of slang words (The Week). The question is where the line is drawn between what is acceptable and what is not, and who is granted the authority to decide? Are different cultural liaisons consulted? Are the religious and atheist asked their opinions or is it up to the agnostic to decide? Not only this but are educators made to be the primary compass in the moral lives of their students? Can they actually force their views and opinions on their pupils? What would be the result when the inevitable happens and a child’s family has a different view on what is acceptable than that of the superintendent of the school district? Censorship can only lead to bigger questions and grave concerns. Primarily, why is one philosophy towards life morally acceptable when another is not? Beyond this, how can adults answer questions children might have in relation to things about which they know nothing? Is it that unbelievable that a child would ask another child their questions and file their peers’ responses away in their mental filing cabinets? As society has seen through every generation, this absolutely happens. Taking

Get Access