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| Photo Credit: crowdleaks.org |
Freedom of speech is discussed in 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, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
America is beginning to forget the power that free speech
holds. As an American citizen, free speech is having a right to speak without
censorship or restraint by the government. Recently, this right has been
challenged.
For instance, in
2011, New Orleans passed a law that states that after dark you cannot broadcast
or preach your religious or political views on Bourbon Street. Recently, a
preacher was arrested along with his ministers for street preaching on Bourbon
Street. The Family Research
center located in Washington, D.C has become labeled as a hate group
because it supports the traditional family. They are being put into the same
category as the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Skinheads, and the League of
the South. Another example is when the U.S
embassy in Cairo was attacked, supposedly based on the grounds of a YouTube
video made in the United States, which ridiculed the Muslim prophet Muhammad. Our
government responded by apologizing
for offending Muslims. The United
States embassy stated:
“We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.”
This quote stated above is the issue. How do you abuse
freedom of speech? You’re either free to speak or you’re not. As an American,
we shouldn’t have to worry about going out to preach our religious beliefs and then
going to jail. We shouldn’t have to worry about being listed as a hate group
just because you have certain beliefs. As an American we shouldn’t apologize
for having the right of freedom of speech.
I think we, as the American people, should stand up for our
freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is one of the things that make America so
unique from other countries. The
Supreme Court has defined freedom of speech as:
"’the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom.’ Without it, other fundamental rights, like the right to vote, would wither and die.”
Sources:
"First
Amendment of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution | American
Library Association." American Library Association. Web. 1 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.ala.org/offices/oif/firstamendment/firstamendment>.
"Free
Speech - Recent Court Cases, Issues and Articles | American Civil Liberties
Union." American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.aclu.org/free-speech>.
Goodman,
Alana. "Obama’s Apology Tour Continues at UN « Commentary Magazine."
Commentary Magazine.25 Sept. 2012. Web. 12 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/09/25/obamas-apology-tour-continues-at-un/>.
"Hate
Map | Southern Poverty Law Center." Southern Poverty Law Center. Web. 12
Oct. 2012. <http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map#s=DC>.
