Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech
Meredith Kerr
Charles W. Locke
U.S. History 121-03
9-27-99
Imagine a time when one could be fined,
imprisoned and even killed for just simply speaking
one 's mind. Speech is the basic vehicle for
communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas.
Without the right to speak one 's mind freely one
would be forced to agree with everything society
stated. With freedom of speech one 's own ideas can
be expressed freely and the follower 's belief will
be stronger. The words sound so simple, but
without them the world would bee a very different
place. Without the right to speak freely one would
not be able to debt, nor would one be able to
receive full coverage on world issues. There would
be no interesting newspapers, no free religion and
no free thoughts. This amendment seems so simple
but, the boundaries of which issues and incidents
are covered are so complex and varied. What is
legal and illegal? What can be said and cannot be
said? Does this amendment include spoken word only
or does it include action also? What, if any,
limits should be put to this amendment?
As long as the government has existed, people
have battled over censorship. Censorship takes on
all different shapes and forms: banning of books,
television guidelines, laws that curb specific
types of speech, and imprisonment or even death for
openly speaking. For example, in sixteenth century
England, a loyal subject of Henry VII was
imprisoned for saying, "I like not the proceedings
of this realm."1 In earlier times this would have
been punishable by death for treason.
The need for freedom of speech was first
brought up in Massachusetts Body of Liberties in
1641. After the Revolutionary War in America, many
states recommend that free speech be put in the
United States Constitution. Nevertheless, freedom
of speech was written into the Bill of Rights and
was ratified in 1791.
A few years after the First Amendment was
ratified, the
Meredith Kerr
Charles W. Locke
U.S. History 121-03
9-27-99
Imagine a time when one could be fined,
imprisoned and even killed for just simply speaking
one 's mind. Speech is the basic vehicle for
communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas.
Without the right to speak one 's mind freely one
would be forced to agree with everything society
stated. With freedom of speech one 's own ideas can
be expressed freely and the follower 's belief will
be stronger. The words sound so simple, but
without them the world would bee a very different
place. Without the right to speak freely one would
not be able to debt, nor would one be able to
receive full coverage on world issues. There would
be no interesting newspapers, no free religion and
no free thoughts. This amendment seems so simple
but, the boundaries of which issues and incidents
are covered are so complex and varied. What is
legal and illegal? What can be said and cannot be
said? Does this amendment include spoken word only
or does it include action also? What, if any,
limits should be put to this amendment?
As long as the government has existed, people
have battled over censorship. Censorship takes on
all different shapes and forms: banning of books,
television guidelines, laws that curb specific
types of speech, and imprisonment or even death for
openly speaking. For example, in sixteenth century
England, a loyal subject of Henry VII was
imprisoned for saying, "I like not the proceedings
of this realm."1 In earlier times this would have
been punishable by death for treason.
The need for freedom of speech was first
brought up in Massachusetts Body of Liberties in
1641. After the Revolutionary War in America, many
states recommend that free speech be put in the
United States Constitution. Nevertheless, freedom
of speech was written into the Bill of Rights and
was ratified in 1791.
A few years after the First Amendment was
ratified, the
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