Examples Of Oppression Is Not Freedom Of Speech

Oppression is Not Freedom of Speech Atheists promote Satan. Only Muslims commit violent acts of terrorism. Homosexual people ruin the sanctity of marriage. Homeless people choose homelessness. Not only do each of these statements oppress a group of people, but each of them is poorly stated. In a government that allows it, the idea of freedom of speech is a given right; however, certain things, such as discriminating stereotypes of minority groups, are oppressive. In Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, free speech is defined as “[s]peech that is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.” On the contrary, that same dictionary defines oppression as “[u]njust or cruel exercise of authority or power.” Free speech is a right protected by the constitution; however, oppression uses that right to discriminate.
The right to freedom of speech protects the opinions and freely shared thoughts of people. However, slurs against certain races and religions, misogynistic terms, and ableism are all oppressive. Freedom of speech allows people to have their opinions, as well as share them with others; it does not, however, allow them to use hateful language and dehumanize others with their words. Using slurs and ableist language to identify a person or a group of people is oppressive. A person who is racist may not refer to people of color with demeaning terms without facing the consequences. One may claim it his or her constitutional right to use dehumanizing and ableist slurs to refer to certain people, but she or he is oppressing those people and may no longer use freedom of speech as an