Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech, or the right to express oneself, verbally and in writing, as one chooses, and how, when, to whom, and in what manner one chooses, is a guarantee of all American citizens, protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Specifically, 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 grievances1". It is my opinion that freedom of speech has always been, and remains, a necessary component of any open society. However, the political and social value of freedom of speech tends to become forgotten when a people feel that they are unsafe, or begin to feel threatened by their own peers (current American fear of terrorism "from within" is one such example; another was the reticence of many Americans, in the run-up to the Iraq War, to speak out against it for fear of seeming "unpatriotic". At times such as these, freedom of speech can easily give way to both censorship and self-censorship. It is my opinion, however, that freedom of speec
rights come under enormous pressure. During the Red Scare of the early However, I wondered then, and now, if the war might not actually have happened after all, if the millions of citizens who truly opposed it, but feared saying so, would have all exercised their freedom of speech. It is at times like this, moreover, that the bedrock American idea of freedom of speech comes under greatest attack, yet must be protected all the more. 1920s, thousands were deported for their political views. During the McCarthy constantly trying to curtail it2. period, the infamous blacklist ruined lives and careers. Today, the creators, deep social problems. Calls for censorship threaten to erode free speech. h must be protected by law, and insisted upon by individual citizens and groups, to the full extent of the U.S. Constitution, within popular, unpopular, and ambiguous national circumstances alike. On the other hand, the American Revolutionary writer Thomas Paine, with his influential pamphlets distributed to the Revolutionary soldiers when their spirits were flagging, provide powerful examples of the persuasive and morale building powers of free speech, in the right place and time, and for the sake of democracy (Paine himself was British, and freedom of speech was one of the principles he valued most about America)7. Without Paine's creative, imaginative, original and bold exercise of his freedom of speech within these revolutionary pamphlets, the American Revolution might not have been won. The strength of the First Amendment, in fact, is that it protects everyone's free speech, not just desirable free speech According to Derechos Human Rights : The First Amendment exists precisely to protect the most offensive and quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened
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Approximate Word count = 1723
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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