In the First Amendment to the Constitution, amongst other things it guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of association (assembly). However, everywhere you turn today there is some group trying to take some god given right away from us. Freedom of speech is a right that we, as Americans, fought long and hard for two hundred years ago. It was the idea of our founding fathers that it is every man or woman's right to say what he or she wishes without being persecuted for it. We won the war against England and in return won our freedom of speech. But how much did we really win? Is censorship a growing reality? And how has two hundred years changed the interpretation of the Constitution of the United States? I am in favor of responsible freedom of speech, however, at the rate the United States is going there just might be a time when freedom of speech is just a history lesson.
The Klu Klux Klan is planning a meeting in your neighborhood. W
Freedom of speech also involves art expression. The world of music has always had to stand its ground against the United States Government. The 1990's were full of censorship battles between record labels and the U.S. Government. In 1992, rap artist Ice-T and his record label went to court to fight for the right to sell Ice-T's CD entitled Cop Killer. The title song was thought to advocate the killing of cops. Of course the proponents of the album never interpreted the song as Ice-T intended. The song was about dishonest cops. But never the less the legal system intervened and ruled in favor of the discontinuance of distribution of Cop Killer. The year 1989 saw the rap group 2 Live Crew in court defending their performances. The United States saw the group's sexually explicit lyrics and inappropriate gestures on stage illegal and temporarily banned them from performing.
I, even though I am a true believer of the First Amendment, feel that it is every Americans dut
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