Essay on free speech - 2862 Words

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION--SPEECH AND PRESS Adoption and the Common Law Background Madisons version of the speech and press clauses, introduced in the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789, provided: The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable.1 The special committee rewrote the language to some extent, adding other provisions from Madisons draft, to make it read: The freedom of speech and of the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble and consult for their common good, and to apply to the Government for redress of grievances, shall not be infringed.2†¦show more content†¦But to punish as the law does at present any dangerous or offensive writings, which, when published, shall on a fair and impartial trial be adjudged of a pernicious tendency, is necessary for the preservation of peace and good order, of government and religion, the only solid foundations of civil liberty. Thus, t he will of individuals is still left free: the abuse only of that free will is the object of legal punishment. Neither is any restraint hereby laid upon freedom of thought or inquiry; liberty of private sentiment is still left; the disseminating, or making public, of bad sentiments, destructive to the ends of society, is the crime which society corrects.7 Whatever the general unanimity on this proposition at the time of the proposal of and ratification of the First Amendment,8 it appears that there emerged in the course of the Jeffersonian counterattack on the Sedition Act9 and the use by the Adams Administration of the Act to prosecute its political opponents,10 something of a libertarian theory of freedom of speech and press,11 which, however much the Jeffersonians may have departed from it upon assuming power,12 was to blossom into the theory undergirding Supreme Court FirstShow MoreRelatedFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1689 Words   |  7 Pagesonce said, â€Å"Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech.† With this quote in mind, freedom of speech should surely be guaranteed right in a every institution. There are various forms of free speech to powerful speeches at a peaceful protest to a girl posting a selfie. Freedom of speech is the key concept that is basis of every human right. This inherent right should be protected and supported in a place where youngRead MoreFree Speech Or Freedom Of Speech Essay911 Words   |  4 Pagesof Freedom, basically we are entitled for legal freedom to do whatever we wanted to. However, the freedom of speech has been challenged by many university students and educators recently. In their argument, they believe that free speech has triggered students’ unhappiness and jeopardize campus’ safety. What is the free speech or freedom of speech? According to dictionary, freedom of speech is the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to theRead MoreFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1180 Words   |  5 PagesFree speech shall not incite evil and hatred in this country. The First Amendment prevents the government from infringing upon our freedom of assembly and speech. â€Å"The disability is so complete that Congress is expres sly forbidden to enact laws respecting an establishment of religion, or laws abridging the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech and press, and the right to petition the government† (Bybee). As a whole, our founding fathers only had good intentions with regards to First AmendmentRead MoreFree Speech : Freedom Of Speech1403 Words   |  6 PagesFREE SPEECH Freedom of speech is perhaps the most precious tenets of liberal democracies accorded to the citizens of the free world. The United States, and the rest of the Western society is known to be the cradle of democratic principles, and this can be evidenced by the level of freedom accorded to the citizens of the United States and the West in terms of speech. The freedom of speech gives an individual an opportunity to speak his or her mind and also give his or her opinion, sometimes on veryRead MoreFree Speech Freedom Of Speech1786 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Freedom of speech is a right of every American that is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This democratic freedom allows citizens to speak and express themselves freely. Public school teachers and students are also free to express themselves, however they can both be limited by school administration. The goal of this paper is to analyze free speech as defined by the First Amendment and discussed limitations placed on teachers and students by schoolsRead MoreFreedom Of Speech And Free Speech1737 Words   |  7 Pages Freedom of Speech can only go so far before it starts to impede the right of the others, and free speech does not come before other people’s given rights.. According to Steven J. Heyman in the article â€Å"Free Speech Has Limits,† freedom of speech comes tied together with respecting the freedom of other and the rights of other people (par. 4). The author goes on to say that cutting off other peoples rights in the name of free speech can be seen as wrongful and can be faced with consequences (parRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : Free Speech1296 Words   |  6 PagesFreedom Of Speech In 399 B.C, the Greek Philosopher Socrates was persecuted for an early argument promoting free speech. Later on, The Protection of Speech was first introduced when the Magna Carta was signed in 1215, and in 1948, the United Nations stated that free speech is a human right and drafted into the international Declaration of Human rights.The government doesn t have the right to make a law abridging the freedom of speech because Free Speech is a form of democracy and it s a fundamentalRead MoreFree Speech Freedom Of Speech886 Words   |  4 Pagesunlike any other. The issue? Free speech. Protesters from both sides of the the political spectrum are outraged. leftists claiming that free speech is â€Å"being used as a cover for spreading hate in America†, that people like the infamous Yiannopoulos (a conservative political commentator known for making offensive statements and supporting â€Å"white supremacy, transphobia, and misogyny†) are doing harm with their first amendme nt right, while conservatives are claiming free speech is being threatened by theRead MoreThe Rights Of Free Speech1182 Words   |  5 Pagespresence of hate speech against minorities and how to appropriately resolve issues of hate speech without infringing on the rights of free speech that is important for the existence of democracy. The purpose of using this document by Emily Foster is to use the contents of the article to help support their current position on the act of democratic censorship, but wither it be in a way to promote censorship in order to maintain order, or to remove censorship as a way to promote free speech is unclear toRead MoreFree Speech And Hate Speech1000 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween hate and free speech is, and what the first amendment does to control them both. The first amendment states that congress shall make no law that abridges the freedom of speech. But to what extent should language be protected? The rights of one man should reach until they shadow over another’s. Meaning free speech is protected until it violates the rights of another. Hate speech is the line where free speech becomes unconstitutional. The contrast between free speech and hate speech is a heavily