| General Fiction posted July 4, 2013 | Chapters: |
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Essay on free speech
A chapter in the book Short
Free Speech
by Bill Schott
When I think of freedom of speech, many things come to mind. I think of why 'freedom of speech' is in our Constitution, the difference between freedom of speech and 'say whatever you please', and why we debate it all the time.
We have freedom of speech in the Constitution for the sole purpose of keeping the powers that be, in the government, from deciding what will and what won't be disseminated to the people. It really doesn't mean that I can broadcast on television that Mrs. Jones has an ugly baby, just because I have freedom of speech. It just means that the police can't arrest me for it. I'd be a big prick, but free. I shouldn't scream "FIRE!" in a theater if there isn't a blaze burning.
Ku Klux Klan (et al) rallies, cable 'news' shows, and ubiquitous pornography insults our intelligence and degrades our society. They can't be arrested for spreading hate and promoting violence, outright lying to bolster a political agenda, or broadcasting sexual acts as a business. They can be quashed by regular citizens who, using the same freedom to speak, voice strong and continuous counter campaigns against these vulgarities. Write dissenting letters, call advertisers, write editorials, block internet sites, and just stand for something.
Freedom of speech is debated because we vacillate on what we want and don't want. We don't like pornography, but don't want to live like monks. We hate 'hate groups', but don't feel we can stop them without bringing our own xenophobic tendencies into closer scrutiny.
We really want freedom of speech and will defend it, even to the extent of putting up with the dark side that comes with it. We should, however, keep those who abuse the freedom of speech in check, by constantly addressing the weakening effects of such antisocial behaviors.
It's wrong to yell FIRE in a crowded theater, unless, of course, there is a fire.
Celebrate Freedom of Speech writing prompt entry
When I think of freedom of speech, many things come to mind. I think of why 'freedom of speech' is in our Constitution, the difference between freedom of speech and 'say whatever you please', and why we debate it all the time.
We have freedom of speech in the Constitution for the sole purpose of keeping the powers that be, in the government, from deciding what will and what won't be disseminated to the people. It really doesn't mean that I can broadcast on television that Mrs. Jones has an ugly baby, just because I have freedom of speech. It just means that the police can't arrest me for it. I'd be a big prick, but free. I shouldn't scream "FIRE!" in a theater if there isn't a blaze burning.
Ku Klux Klan (et al) rallies, cable 'news' shows, and ubiquitous pornography insults our intelligence and degrades our society. They can't be arrested for spreading hate and promoting violence, outright lying to bolster a political agenda, or broadcasting sexual acts as a business. They can be quashed by regular citizens who, using the same freedom to speak, voice strong and continuous counter campaigns against these vulgarities. Write dissenting letters, call advertisers, write editorials, block internet sites, and just stand for something.
Freedom of speech is debated because we vacillate on what we want and don't want. We don't like pornography, but don't want to live like monks. We hate 'hate groups', but don't feel we can stop them without bringing our own xenophobic tendencies into closer scrutiny.
We really want freedom of speech and will defend it, even to the extent of putting up with the dark side that comes with it. We should, however, keep those who abuse the freedom of speech in check, by constantly addressing the weakening effects of such antisocial behaviors.
It's wrong to yell FIRE in a crowded theater, unless, of course, there is a fire.
We have freedom of speech in the Constitution for the sole purpose of keeping the powers that be, in the government, from deciding what will and what won't be disseminated to the people. It really doesn't mean that I can broadcast on television that Mrs. Jones has an ugly baby, just because I have freedom of speech. It just means that the police can't arrest me for it. I'd be a big prick, but free. I shouldn't scream "FIRE!" in a theater if there isn't a blaze burning.
Ku Klux Klan (et al) rallies, cable 'news' shows, and ubiquitous pornography insults our intelligence and degrades our society. They can't be arrested for spreading hate and promoting violence, outright lying to bolster a political agenda, or broadcasting sexual acts as a business. They can be quashed by regular citizens who, using the same freedom to speak, voice strong and continuous counter campaigns against these vulgarities. Write dissenting letters, call advertisers, write editorials, block internet sites, and just stand for something.
Freedom of speech is debated because we vacillate on what we want and don't want. We don't like pornography, but don't want to live like monks. We hate 'hate groups', but don't feel we can stop them without bringing our own xenophobic tendencies into closer scrutiny.
We really want freedom of speech and will defend it, even to the extent of putting up with the dark side that comes with it. We should, however, keep those who abuse the freedom of speech in check, by constantly addressing the weakening effects of such antisocial behaviors.
It's wrong to yell FIRE in a crowded theater, unless, of course, there is a fire.
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Writing Prompt Here is your chance to celebrate your freedom of speech by offering up your thoughts on the current state of the union and the US Constitution. They can be in any form. |
Thank you to Angelheart for the cool graphic.
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