The Importance Of Freedom Of Speech

The freedom to talk, the freedom to dance, the freedom to express one’s feelings are what’s most important. In Amendment One, of the Bill of Rights, the American right and freedom that which deserves celebration is Freedom of Speech -- giving each American citizen an equal opportunity to express his or her opinions about any topic. Our Founding Fathers insured that the new American government would not restrict their ability to express their thoughts or ability to criticize the actions of their government without censorship; because, they truly understood what life was like living under a government, where they had no voice and laws were enacted prohibiting their freedoms. Freedom of Speech however costly led to a more successful America. It allowed people to speak out against injustices. It allowed people to become more diverse by hearing other people’s opinions about different topics. People in America felt pride and value this right because, at the end of the day, they felt as if the government truly cared somewhat about their well-being and state of life. It provided the right for candidates to criticize the current government and

Free speech is a fundamental right to not only being American but being a human. Exchanging and defending principles, beliefs, and ideas have been existent since the beginning of mankind. We would not have made it this far if people did not have the freedom to speak what they wanted or needed to say. Philosophers and scientists, poets and writers, people such as Rousseau, Milton, Locke, Newton, Descartes, and numerous more might never have accomplished what they had or been recognized if not for the freedom of speech. Some of the most important examples of free speech that set in motion the foundation of America were the petitions from the colonists and finally the Declaration of Independence.

Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment that comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. Freedom of speech is the foundation of an American democracy and without freedom of speech Americans would not have the right to vote. Freedom of speech means that an individual can debate or have an opinion with issues going on in America. Although freedom of speech in America gives Americans the right to have their voices heard and to have an opinion in American politics, it is still very limited. There is an abundant amount of Americans that are not able to exercise their first amendment right because of protesters who rally at speeches to stop an individual from exercising their right. There are constant issues over who has the right to do what, and who has the right to say what is right. The American government clearly believes that some people should have rights, but others, such as immigrants or students on campuses do not deserve to. Two articles that were featured in USATODAY, one article that was written by Shanta Driver, “Freedom of Speech Is a Diversion: Opposing View”, is addressing the right of illegal immigrants in America. The second article, “Campus Mobs Muzzle Free Speech: Our View”, written by The Editorial Board, argues the respect of freedom of speech on college campuses. Both articles appeal to the audience’s logic or logos appeal by stating their opinions on why freedom of speech is America’s greatest threat.

In America, it is our right to free speech. As individuals, we value this right because it allows us to say our opinions, even if a majority of people disagree or are offended. However, I believe it should be different for big, influential groups of people. Those who represent organizations and institutions should have their free speech limited because if their opinions do not represent what that institute is for, it can cause feelings of distraught and anger among the people.

On 1787, the future founding fathers of an ever so influential nation united to write upon a paper the most fundamental document to ever exist that serves as the basis for the entire system of the United States. The United States Constitution, with all of its posterity that ordains a strong union within its members, contains twenty-seven amendments that ensure the basic rights and principles that drive the nation. The first ten of these amendments form what is known to be as the Bill of Rights: basic rights that governmental bodies in the federalist system and all of its citizens abide and live by. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, declared that, “Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government: When this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved.” And with these words, the First Amendment of the Constitution that protects the freedom of expression and speech was established.

The United States and Europe have seen a growing number of people and groups advocating hateful and discriminatory beliefs in recent years. How liberal democracies should or should not address this fact has been a source of contention between people who advocate for freedom of speech and expression above all, and those who advocate for free and equal citizenship to come first. Corey Brettschneider tries to tackle this issue of hate speech and the state’s role, or lack thereof, in limiting this type of expression by contending that the state ought to publically reproach hateful viewpoints without limiting their expression. He points to the United States and Europe as examples of two sides of tackling the issue. The United States he compares to the “Hateful Society dystopia,” in which free speech is help so highly that hateful viewpoints are not addressed at all. Europe he compares to the “Invasive State dystopia,” in which hateful viewpoints are limited to the point of infringing of the very rights the state is claiming to protect. He advocates instead for the use of the state’s expressive capabilities as speaker, educator, and spender to encourage values central to liberal democracy – free and equal citizenship – to allow the state to both respect the right to free speech and expression and still counter hateful or discriminatory beliefs. Brettschneider differentiates between expressive and coercive state action, recognizing that coercive action would limit freedom of

To use freedom of speech to the fullest one must acknowledge that there is an opposition and to not shield themselves from their point of view, in order to strengthen their argument. We need to also understand that shielding thoughts improperly prepares people for the future. In “The Coddling of the American Mind” and “The Indispensable Opposition” the authors feel that one need to question one’s own beliefs because of other’s opinions.

Our government defines the limits of American society. What we say and do has weak limits that are imposed by the national government, yet what happens if we try to change that? This is possible as history proves it. The United States of America would not exist today if it was not for the revolt against the King of England in the 1700s. Ever since, the freedom of the people to have a say in the government is crucial for the existence of a democracy. In modern times, being able to express an opinion in politics is taken for granted as the government is potent enough to control the lives of thousands in a democratic way. We are struggling with the issue of immigration because many are leaving the decision-making to the hands of lawmakers that have never experienced life at the border or outside of America. To achieve a better understanding of the topic, I have to receive insight from other people.

In the United States, the 1st amendment in the Constitution was created to protect the citizen’s rights to speak, practice religion, assemble, petition, and publish freely without government interference.However, throughout the years the freedom of speech since it was inputted into the constitution in the Bill of Right in intention to control over the concern of too much governmental control. Through the years in additional amendment was added, the fourteenth amendment. Which extends limitation to state government on law which may prohibit or abridge the people’s right to assemble peacefully. As a result causing an effect toward the 1st amendment that gave the right freely and contradict it actual liberty. With the Supreme court to take a stance on what now is freedom of speech is under court.

The foundation of the United States of America can be boiled down to 3 historical documents. Those 3 documents are the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights serves to protect the rights of the individual. From the freedom of the press to the freedom to bear arms. One of the most debated rights or freedoms was the right to free speech. Americans have debated what exactly the right to free speech entails since the bill of rights was written in 1792 by James Madison. Strictly speaking, freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment which states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech . . .” (U.S. Constitution). What exactly free speech protects or doesn’t protect has evolved over the course of America’s history. Free speech is one of the most important individual rights and therefore when free speech is possibly threatened or infringed upon it is a big deal especially when the person in Question who could possibly be impinged on Free Speech is the President of the United States. The situation in question surrounds the NFL players protesting the National Anthem through various actions. Many people felt that the players were disrespecting the flag, the country, and the soldiers who fight to protest the country. President Trump responded to this situation during a September 22nd rally in Alabama stating that

What exactly entails of freedom of speech? It is the right to communicate fully your ideas and opinions without having to be afraid of how the government will retaliate or censor your words or sanction by the society at large. To have your own ideas put across rightly is a precious thing owing to the rights of humans. Freedom of speech is a right given to all Americans through the bill of rights, freedom from speech is not.

For many students, school provides the first opportunity to test boundaries, beliefs, and self-expression. The First Amendment safeguards the rights of every American, including students, to speak freely. After all, students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate” (Tinker v. Des Moines). Additional Supreme Court decisions, such as Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier and Bethel School District v. Fraser, have further clarified that the right to free speech and expression can sometimes be subordinate to achieve legitimate educational goals. Schools are not similar to that of a public park where someone can stand on a bench and holler. Rather, the right to free speech should be implemented in ways that do not interfere with schools’ educational mission. In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public school officials cannot censor students unless school officials have a “reasonable expectation” that the expression will cause a material and substantial disruption of school activities or invade the rights of others. In the school setting, administration must look diligently at the details of a situation before making decisions when one group’s right to free speech begins impeding on another group’s right to free speech.

The first Amendment, one of ten fundamental rights we have as American citizens. It is the right to express any opinion without censorship or restraints. It is a travesty of freedom of speech. A misnomer that falsely empowers citizens with the belief that their opinion and beliefs can be verbalized and listened to without penalty.

There is a lot of debate on what type of free speech is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution. Free speech is a basic right of all Americans, but this right comes with restrictions. In public schools, the school administration sets strict rules and regulations that the students are required to follow in order to keep things running smoothly and not cause a disruption within the school. Based on the school’s rules set for the students, the students at Palmyra Area High School are not permitted to hang a Confederate Flag in the Atrium of the high school because it is a very controversial issue, can and will cause a disruption within the school, and the school has the right to monitor free speech during school hours.

College students around the country have their rights to free speech violated. Some do something about it by starting an organization advocating for free speech or going to court to have their case heard by a judge. Still, some suffer in “silence” when their rights to free speech are deprived.