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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>.
You are completely right! The First Ammendment clearly states that people have the freedom of speech. It is frustrating to watch that freedom disappear before our eyes. I hope and pray that things will change because preaching God's Word is what humans are called to do in the first place!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I don't think things will improve. They may slow down, but I don't think it will reverse. Someone told me, you can't stop prophesy from happening. I have to constantly remind myself of that as I see America quickly transform in front of my eyes.
DeleteIt is definitely a difficult issue. At what point does exercising the right of freedom of speech become a danger to others? And isn't it the role of the government to protect it citizens?
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned hate groups such as KKK and Skinheads. Couldn't some of their actions (like burning crosses in front of houses or terrorizing innocent civilians) be considered "freedom of speech)? The Patriot Act after 9/11 symbolized the prioritization of safety over privacy, so do you think safety should also be placed above the freedom of speech? If so, where do you draw the line?
Yes, it is the role of the government to protect it's citizens, but I'm not sure what point you are getting at. To me the government failed to do its job in Cairo. The state government failed its residents when it put a restraint on when you can have freedom of speech. Not only is the government supposed to protect its citizens, but also the rights given to each citizen by the constitution.
DeleteThere is a difference between freedom of speech and threats. There is a difference when a particular group of people have a history of terrorizing or making their threats come to past. The KKK and Skinheads use intimidation tactics and they intend to do physical harm to others. Terrorizing someone doesn't have anything to do with freedom of speech. I'm not sure how burning crosses would be considered "freedom of speech"...maybe if you explain what you are trying to get at...
Could you give me a scenario where you think safety should be above freedom of speech or vice versa? At this moment, I can't think of how safety and freedom of speech could potentially present conflict in a situation...
I think you answered the question I posed: freedom of speech does not mean you can say anything you want. It turns into something else when it becomes a threat or a danger to citizens. Unfortunately some extremist groups try to hide behind the first amendment to defend their intimidating messages. In a 2010 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that anti-terrorist laws can be enacted even if they infringe on someone's freedom of speech. A link to the decision can be found here http://themoderatevoice.com/77388/anti-terrorism-law-trumps-free-speech/
ReplyDeleteThe two case you cited are not examples of cases where freedom of speech put lives in jeopardy. I agree (and I think most government officials now admit) that the situation in Cairo was not caused by exercise of freedom of speech, nor does preaching on a street corner after dark cause any harm (I tried following your link to read more about that but I couldn't do it-why is it only after dark?).
America's freedom of speech has limits on it. According to dictionary.reference.com, freedom of speech is the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to the laws against libel, incitement to violence or rebellion, etc. So under America's laws threats wouldn't be considered freedom of speech by this definition.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't surprise me concerning the Supreme Court's ruling. Anything or anybody that is anti-American could potentially be a threat to Americans. Terrorists are known to be strongly anti-American.
I'm not sure why it's only after dark. I guess it's because that's when Bourbon street is most "live (slang for crowded)." I'm not sure why the link didn't work either, but if you Google the topic, I'm sure you will find something on it. Maybe they removed the story...just Google no preaching on Bourbon Street and something will come up.