The Right To Free Speech

Free speech is by far the most commonly recognized freedom in our everyday lives. The freedom of speech allows us to voice our own opinions without the severe repercussions of some countries. It allows us to say what we really feel and helps us learn how to communicate in true and meaningful ways. Along with this freedom, we must remember that there are limits to this freedom. While being arrested “you have the right to remain silent” and anything you say can be used against you in court. This freedom is not one to be taken for

Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right. Whether or not on a college campus, people (especially college students) should have the right to speak freely. Everyone does have the right to speak freely, because it is one of the twenty-seven amendments. Colleges all around the United States are now home to many restrictions on free speech. For example, the idea and use of “free speech zones” has made its way to colleges everywhere. A “free speech zone” is a sidewalk sized place where students are allowed to speak their minds freely on college campuses. I know what you’re thinking. This sounds ridiculous. Why are there specific places for people to speak their minds? Aren’t colleges suppose to be a place where students speak their minds and learn new things? Universities should not be able to put any restrictions on free speech.

Free speech is the backbone that holds democracy together.  Without a free speech, ideas would not be challenged, governments would not be kept in check, and citizens would not be free.  John Stuart Mill said once that, “If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person then he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.”( Roleff, 21). The right to free speech is essential to “egalitarian democracy,”(Tsesis) however, this right is not absolute and must be limited in certain situations.

The First Amendment say’s “Congress can make no law not allowing freedom of speech to be used by the people”. Now I will give u some historical background. The First Amendment without a doubt was an action against the silence of free speech that existed in The English society. Until 1694, there was a complicated system of licensing in England, and no public was allowed without a government license. Blackstone, with his famous commentaries in law, said that “the liberty of the press say’s laying no previous restraints upon publications, and not in freedom from censure for criminal stuff when published... To subject the press to the power of a license . . . is to subject all of the freedom of sentiment to the power of one man, and make him the

One can read in the Bill of Rights in the First Amendment the following: “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” ("Bill of Rights - Bill of Rights Institute." Bill of Rights Institute). How do these “Clauses” protect us within the First Amendment? Do we really have “freedom of speech”? Let us find out.

The bill of rights was created to give people the fundamentally important individual freedoms that no law could limit or take away. The quote from In Our Defense "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" greater emphasis how vital it was to make freedom of speech the main priority for the people of this nation. However, many of the stuff the people express when using this right had caused many to feel offended because they have different beliefs and values. This has led to the creation of laws which have tried and defined such broad topics into a single definite definition. Free speech is one of the several liberties given by the bill of rights to every person living in the Unites States. Such right, however, is limited in colleges where students are sheltered and not exposed to topics that are currently reshaping society in new ways. Colleges and universities are the ideal places to challenge debatable topics to better prepare students to be tolerant of the opinion of others.

What is Speech? Speech includes any form of verbal or visual gesture. Freedom of speech means that as a person, you have the right to say what you feel without being punished or penalized. You may have to suffer dire consequences for your actions or words, but you still have the right to say them. Dictionary.com defines Freedom of Speech as, “the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to the laws against libel, incitement to violence or rebellion, etc.” In a diverse world such as ours with varying opinions and beliefs, the need to be able to have unlimited freedom to speak about any and everything that concerns us is vitally important to improve our society. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that:

When the Constitution was created, the first amendment stated that everyone in the United States has the freedom of speech; including Christians. Recently, there have been cases where Christians are being persecuted for their faith shown through what they have said and/or have done. This shows that Christians’ free speech is being violated.

Throughout American history, the foundation on which American democratic principles are based, has been repeatedly tested. In the 1700s, the right of free speech was challenged when President John Adams proposed the Alien and Sedition Acts. Adams attempted to stop the Democratic Republicans such as Thomas Jefferson, from criticizing government decisions. Similarly, during the Civil War President Abraham Lincoln challenged freedom of the press when he took action to restrict the printing of military news. Lincoln ordered his generals in the field to control the press and “crack down on speech critical of his administration” to limit dissent against the war effort. However, one historical era stands out as a decidedly pivotal test of

Free speech and expression are unalienable rights which cannot be taken away under any circumstances due to its origins. As an amendment in the United States Constitution, it gives the people to power to speak freely without worry of consequence or punishment from the government. This right is one of many that makes America a democratic nation, and so appealing to others who are denied these fundamental rights. However, there are instances where individuals abuse this right, by encouraging violence or hate to the point where people take action, and due to this, their right to free speech should be limited.

Freedom of speech is critical considering that people shouldn’t be fearful to show their thoughts and beliefs. We live in a country that has freedom of speech. For this, we are very fortunate because throughout history and even today many people were and are not as fortunate to have the luxury of expressing themselves without having to worry of variant forms

Its through speech that people spread good ideas and communicate; however its also through speech and other forms of expression that we spread hate and fear. Everyone should be allowed to say what they want, but we can’t have people say what they want without some form of legal consequence. As a citizen and a human being you have the right to feel safe and protected in the community, your schools, the workplace, and no one should be able to create a hostile environment for other people. This essay will be focusing on current events, the Criminal Code and Human Rights codes. The Canadian government has the right to limit free speech in cases of overtly racist or sexist language because of our failure to address such abuses would suggest that

In modern society, the issue of free speech vs. censorship often comes up. It is a hot topic among those interested in social issues, and represents two well meaning but very different arguments. The argument for freedom of speech says that communication and connectivity promotes progress, while the argument for censorship says that silence and isolation promotes security.

Freedom of speech is the concept of the inherent human right to voice one's opinion publicly without fear of censorship or punishment. "Speech" is not limited to public speaking and is generally taken to include other forms of expression. The right is preserved in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is granted formal recognition by the laws of most nations. Nonetheless the degree to which the right is upheld in practice varies greatly from one nation to another. In many nations, particularly those with relatively authoritarian forms of government, overt government censorship is enforced. Censorship has also been claimed to occur in other forms (see propaganda model) and there are different approaches to issues such as hate speech,

On March 15th, 1783, George Washington famously delivered the line: “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” The statement, though dramatic, exemplifies just how important the idea of free speech was to our founding fathers and to the enlightenment thinkers from which they were influenced by. For this reason, civil discourse was envisioned as the primary safeguard of liberty. While we, in contemporary American society, openly cherish and celebrate these ideas to form national identity, it is simply ignorant, especially in our current political climate, to deny that the expression of these freedoms are immune to change.