The Right To Freedom Of Speech In The United States

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear” (George Orwell). Whether the opinion is of extreme offense or not, censorship is not the answer nor is the limitation of the freedom of speech. Emerging the truth, can only be possible through the opposition of ideas, thus with no boundries, the full protection of freedom of speech is a necessary quality of any society.

Most who argue against censorship believe that it goes against a person’s right to freedom of speech. Within this argument, most people wonder “just when, and on what grounds, the state is justified in using its coercive powers to limit the freedom of individuals” (West). When thinking in this mindset, individuals tend to antagonize the government, because they come to believe that it suppresses their individuality and fail to consider the fact that it unites people who share its similar beliefs. As a result of the recent spike in technology and use of the Internet, the public must continually alter its definition of freedom of speech and expression. As the media offers more and more methods of communication, many of which are relatively self-regulated by users, more methods of expression develop, which may render other forms of expression obsolete, or even socially unacceptable (Qazi). Without understanding how much freedom of speech one is entitled to, one may never hope to defend that freedom if it ever comes under attack. Because technology develops so quickly that one definition will hardly suffice for a short period of time, people will find it increasingly difficult to understand how much right to expression they are allowed and will therefore fight for any and all that they may attain, never considering the benefits of censorship in the slightest. In America especially, people idealize the idea of democracy, the investigation of truth, and independence (Fieser). In

“A word to the unwise. Torch every book. Char every page. Burn every word to ash. Ideas are incombustible. And therein lies your real fear.” Ellen Hopkins. The government in this society is burning all of the knowledge. The books may be burnt but ideas and your imagination are unretrievable, that can be passed down through generations. The government has the real fear. Censorship is bad and takes away from your imagination and creativity.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “That government is best which governs least…”. In Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian novel written by Ray Bradbury, the government puts extreme laws in place to “protect” the people. Except, that these laws keep the citizens from knowing the truth. The good laws like speed limit aren’t enforced and the things that shouldn’t matter, like owning a book, are so strongly enforced, that if it is you that is found to own a book, your house will be burnt down. The government keeps everyone in check by censoring the citizens. During the 1950’s, the entire country was in fear of communism. There was a blacklist of authors, actors, and public figures. No one would hire them or buy their work. Bradbury wanted to warn the country of what could happen if it continued being ignorant , and by using pathos, rhetorical questions, and repetition, he effectively conveyed his purpose.

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.

Third of all, the first amendment includes the Freedom of the Press. The freedom of the press is very similar to the freedom of speech. It allows a group of people or an individual to express themselves and their thoughts on printed papers, broadcast on TV or Radio, and any other ways, without governmental control or restrictions. According to Barbara Silberdick Feinberg, “Newspapers, magazines, and books, as well as television and movie scripts, do not have to be submitted for government inspection before they are published. This censorship would violate the First Amendment.”

The First Amendment was adopted in 1791. It states that “Congress shall make no law 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.” (Wikipedia, 2016) The freedom of speech documented in the First Amendment is not only a constitutional protection, but also an inevitable part of democratic government and independence, which are essential values in our society. “Censorship,” according to the ACLU, “… is the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others”. (ACLU, 2016) That is why the American citizen’s right to free speech should be held as the highest virtue and any censorship of freedom of speech should not be allowed, but only respected. Not to mention that censorship is unconstitutional.

travesty. Government organizations, such as the FCC, routinely and systematically subjugate and suppress the freedoms that we have to express ourselves as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. Censors edit radio broadcasts, discriminately place “black-bars” over televised images, and even try to refine works of literature and art so that they meet "acceptable standards.”

An important thing to know about freedom of speech is it does not actually protect anything we want to say. However freedom of speech is something that the United States holds high. The first amendment of our constitution is one of the most important amendments we have to protect us. The first amendment gives us the right to free speech with very few limits. Even though this may not be the best policy it is important we protect any speech so long as it is not harming anyone. The constitution says “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. (Madison)” This is saying that the freedom of speech is protected by the constitution and congress cannot make laws to limit anything covered by freedom

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

Even though freedom of speech can be tricky, being able to excogitate is key to understanding what can be said under the first amendment is key. This will give you more confidence when you're talking about current events, it'll inhibit social interaction, but the biggest reason of all is understanding your rights will keep you out of jail. Even the supreme court struggles to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. When trying to see if your covered by the first amendment, certain questions have to be displayed. Are we free to say whatever we want? Exactly what is freedom of speech, what can I say, and what can't I say and still be covered by the first amendment? Understanding the dilemma that freedom of speech just like anything

According to the communication decency act, censorship is viewed as unconstitutional because it sabotages people’s right of speech. Citizens of certain countrys are usually restricted from important information when the government threatens or

Through technology, the government is given so much control over people who are dependant on it. The people in this story aren’t aware of what’s really going on in their society because the strange amount of censorship is what they had always known and they were taught that books and questioning

Some claim that speech and the press should be censored, while others insist that censorship is unconstitutional. In 1917, the Espionage Act was passed which made it a crime to release, write, or spread information that interfered with the U.S. military, as well as making its crime to support enemy countries (“Espionage Act of 1917”). Two years later, Charles Schenck distributed pamphlets that spoke out against the draft. Obstructing the draft is a criminal offense so Schenck went to court and in his court case Schenck v. United States it was established in that people have the right to say as they please as long as their words don’t provoke “clear and present danger”. The “clear and present danger” doctrine was therefore added to the First Amendment and provided judges a test to determine whether or not a person's speech can be restricted (“Schenck v. United States”). There have been numerous cases that have established limitations on individual freedoms if there was a possibility of endangering the people. These events have led to revisions, in the form of clauses and occasionally amendments to be implemented in society. When major changes are not made, the Constitution is still used to justify and condemn acts, which proves that it is a living

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