My Case for Freedom of Speech

Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine a place, modern and seemingly similar to the United States. However the people do not speak….They are scared to. They don’t know what punishment they might face for voicing their opinions. They have no freedom of speech. The First Amendment of the United States 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.” We, as Americans, can speak out and share our feelings, mostly without fear of repercussions. We like to stand for what we believe in, and we are all growing up in a country that has laws in place to protect our freedom of speech, but many citizens (mostly millennials) are arguing that we shouldn’t be able to say what we feel is necessary, these rights have come under fire quite recently, with more and more opinions being censored by media outlets, colleges, and other individuals, however there are a few steps we can take to prevent further intrusion on our rights.

Although we have yet to face this problem head on in the United States, many countries have strict censorship controls on all media and news, causing their citizens to feel the affects. According to Tom Kott, a contributor for Huffington Post in a 2013 article, ”Section 1 of the Constitution Act 1982 gives Canadians the right to free speech, but with ‘reasonable limits.’ This ensures that almost anything one says can be considered unconstitutional and subject to legal prosecution.” You may have the right to voice your opinions, but the government may have the right to fine and jail you for them.Comedy has taken major hits from this idea of “hate speech”, which has no clear and agreed upon definition. Many comedians have been jailed or fined for jokes deemed to be hateful, such as Mike Ward who as told by the National Post, is currently appealing a $42 thousand dollar fine for a joke about a disabled boy. The joke may have been in bad taste, however, is an excessive fine meant to suppress his speech a reasonable punishment. This type of censorship of thought is becoming more accepted and even promoted by a growing number of individuals in the U.S.

There are a few different arguments we face for government censorship of ideas. The basic argument for censorship like that in Canada, is making sure all individuals feel safe and secure from hate in public. Free speech may insight violence on a specific group, so we must protect them. This is a very prevalent system in many of the world’s countries, as the United States is the only country guaranteed free speech in its constitution. A 2018 Bloomberg News report in the Washington Post, describes China’s motivations as a matter of national security and protecting social order. China having the largest censorship system in the world, nicknamed “The Great Firewall”, comprised of government employees and advanced vetting technology. This Firewall prohibits use of sites such as Facebook, Youtube, most news outlets, and even Google. At one point, Winnie the Pooh was banned as well. However this has also impeded the economic growth of China, not just the spread of information and discourse. Lastly still, the conflict festering in the modern world over “hate speech” is currently the main purpose for pushing censorship in today’s society.What is going too far when expressing yourself, or making statements about others? How much should the government be able to control? When we become too fragile to accept each others opinions, is when civil discussion ends all together. Censorship is not the answer to our problems, and we will now discuss the real solutions.

There are many solutions to keep the demand for censorship at bay, first keep an open mind, even though others may not. Don’t be afraid of others opinions, no matter how radical. Others have different viewpoints, that’s what keeps America rolling. Our country was founded on diverse thought, something the founding fathers wished to protect. Being defensive is natural, and we may strongly disagree with one another, but avoid warranting suppression of another’s views for that reason. Secondly, avoid direct calls for violence or harm. These cases are not protected under the first amendment and can get us and others in a world of trouble. We can openly state our beliefs in a peaceable manner, but inciting violence is the enemy of free speech. Earlier this year an incident occurred in Washington D.C. between a student at Covington Catholic High School and a Native American protest, resulting in much media attention and even death threats on the students life. According to Lukas Mikelionis in a January 2019 article for Fox News, “Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders told the Cincinnati Enquirer ... that threats against the school and students are being investigated.” These threats have serious repercussions.

Finally, stay politically active and exercise your rights to petition the government, also guaranteed by the first amendment. Let your local representatives know you wish them to protect your free speech and to vote against any legislation that would inhibit that speech. We the people of the United States hold the power, and we can use it to protect our voice.

Remember that place I had you think of earlier, well, that place exists. China, Syria, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, and many more have some of the strictest censorship in the world. Leaving citizens with little information from the outside world, and ways to be involved in discourse. These countries are usually dictatorships or have very strong governments that give their people a minute amount of control over their own lives. As we see today, riots have plagued Hong Kong since June, standing up for not just their freedom from extradition to mainland China, but to keep China’s communist government from impeding on all rights held by the people. For as long as man has lived, the strong have oppressed the weak, and crushed those that spoke out against them. But, I believe that we are better than that. In America, we won’t let those above us control what we need to say, including Google, Facebook, Youtube, and even the government. We are too proud of our rights to give them up now, even if some believe it is for the sake of others. No censorship of thought can be for the betterment of man. Following these steps we can continue to live in a free country and live to promote our own ideals and beliefs, (unless you speak out against a very important person, you might wind up dead). George R.R. Martin once wrote, “When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.”