Offensive Speech Should be Allowed Essay - 2753 Words

There seems to be an internal desire for freedom within the soul of every man. Men realize that freedom is something basic, and to rob a man of his freedom is to take from him the essential basis of his manhood. The words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoken forty-three years ago, capture the spirit of the American dream. Since its conception, the United States of America has been the universal symbol for freedom and hope. The five most fundamental freedoms cherished by every citizen are granted in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Among them, Americans treasure the right to freedom of speech above all others. Yet, as we stand here in the birth of a new millennium, this right has become endangered. College campuses across the†¦show more content†¦The First Amendment to the Constitution 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. Still, few agree on the extent to which the amendment protects speech. John F. Kennedy gave perhaps the greatest re sponse to Constitutional debates. He wrote, The Constitution was not a collection of loosely given political promises subject to broad interpretation. It was not a list of pleasing platitudes to be set lightly aside when expediency required it. It was the foundation of the American system of law and justice (237). It is the basis for every other law in America. Why should we allow this issue to infringe on our pursuit of liberty? No concrete definition of hate speech exists in our society. Case after case has come before the Supreme Court, questioning the breadth of the amendment in extreme cases. The Court has ruled that there are two exceptions to the right to free speech: in Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire, fighting words, or specific conduct that provokes retaliation, were declared exempt from first amendment protection; the Court also excludes incidents involving group defamation, or harming the reputation of a group of people (Gates 184).Show MoreRelatedSpeech On The Bill Of Rights1153 Words   |  5 Pagesof speech, or of the press† (Alderman and Kennedy, pg.21). Because of the First Amendment, hate speech, â€Å"no matter how offensive its content†, was â€Å"protected† under the laws (ACLZ). However, people are still demanding more. They want hate-related speech to be allowed on campuses –without knowing the effects and the damage it could do. Hate speech could bring people d own, lower their confidences and their school performance, and in some case, school avoidance. The audiences of offensive speech onRead MoreHigh School Students Should Be Allowed For Wearing Red Ribbons, A Symbol For Aids Awareness961 Words   |  4 Pages1.) Should high school students be allowed to wear red ribbons, a symbol for aids awareness, on school property? The first amendment rights are available to teachers and students. Students and teachers do not shed their constitutional rights of freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. Tinker v. Des Moines, 89 S.Ct. 733 (1969). Therefore, high school students should be allowed to wear red ribbons in support of aids awareness on school property; so long as such silent, passive expressionRead MoreDefining Feinberg s Offence Principle And Hate Speech By R Cohen Almagor1125 Words   |  5 Pages‘cannot shoulder all the work necessary for the principle of free speech’. He believes the Harm Principle does not go far enough in protecting people. The law, he believes, needs to take into account serious offence, as a key factor in determining what type of speech should be prohibited. Let us look at a brief explanation of what this offence entails. To do this I have made use of the article Harm Principle, Offence Principle and Hate Speech by R Cohen-Almagor . In this article Cohen-Almagor begins byRead MoreThe Freedom Of Speech By The Bill Of Rights1569 Words   |  7 Pagesexercise 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 theRead MoreFree Speech And Political Speech778 Words   |  4 Pages Free speech is a tricky subject because everyone has a right to their own opinion, but there is a difference between a speech and a call to action. For instance, people can talk about their ideologies openly, but when their speech turns to a call to action for people to harm others is when it is not protected under the First Amendment. I feel that the government should be allowed to monitor free speech activities, but they should not intervene unless there is an imminent threat. The internet hasRead MoreFree Speech : The Freedom Of Speech911 Words   |  4 PagesSam Sargent 10/10/17 Free Speech 3rd Draft In recent times, many colleges and universities in the United States have retreated from strong historical support for free speech, including the dis-invitation of speakers, promulgation of speech codes that prohibit what is deemed offensive speech, and students protesting the participation of politically unpopular speakers on campus, including those widely regarded as outside the mainstream as well as those who are traditionalist ChristiansRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech878 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom of speech is a basic 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 â€Å"free speech zones† has made its way to colleges everywhere. A â€Å"free speech zoneâ €  is a sidewalk sized place where studentsRead More Freedom of Speech vs Censorship Essays1231 Words   |  5 Pagesmany rights, the most important is the freedom of speech which provides an umbrella of protection over our remaining rights; however, all of our rights are under attack beginning with the First Amendment which is under constant assault by censorship. The Constitution of the United States says that â€Å"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 peaceablyRead MoreFreedom of Speech Mill and Freiberg1505 Words   |  7 Pages Freedom of speech is the key element of the real democracies. Freedom of speech is also concerned to the idea that people can speak freely without being stopped, or censored. Freedom of speech is briefly hallmark of democracy because democracy is based on independent thoughts of people. In a democratic society people are allowed to express their views freely and peacefully. There will be no democracy if freedom of speech isnt granted to people. Where there is freedom of speech, new ideas andRead MorePersuasive Speech On Free Speech Rights1181 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Students and their right to free speech have been debated for decades. Public schools have been challenged on many occasions for denying students their First Amendment right. Over the years the courts have ruled in favor of students and school districts. Outcomes of these rulings have varied according to the nature and extent of the student speech in question. This paper will discuss different interpretations of free speech rights for students under the Constitution’s First Amendment