Preview

Synthesis Essay On Freedom Of Speech

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
489 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Synthesis Essay On Freedom Of Speech
In countries such as North Korea, it is clear their deceptive government has censored political speeches, silenced anti-government expressions, and imprisoned any who oppose their policies. If a nation such as the United States deprives its citizens from freedom of speech, the public ceases to voice their opinions on the negative actions of the government. Their words and opinions cannot spread to sources such as the media. Soon America would transform from a Democracy into a Dictatorship. Freedom of speech is the most important right in the Bill of Rights because it is the driving factor for change and progress. Without a voice to lead, society would stay silent. An event in which opinions have changed an entire nation would be the American Revolution. In the year 1775, the Declaration of Independence was written and sent to the British Empire. It contained the voice of the colonies, expressing their thoughts on British rule. The document states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident:-That all men are created equal...He has forbidden his …show more content…
Countless acts such as the Civil Rights Movement and Women’s Suffrage, used the 1st amendment to their advantage in order to change the future into what we have today. Today, freedom of speech is always being practiced. Some citizens use it for negative aspects, and others for good. Groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church use freedom of speech in order to express hate towards homosexuals and the government. On the other hand, other groups such as an anti-tobacco campaign “Truth”, spreads their message to young teens the statistics of the population that die from smoking cigarettes, preventing future smokers from emerging. Two Hundred years ago, the United States’ citizens lived a puritan life, only worshiping one God, one religion. Now in the present, it is the youngest, and most diverse country in the world, all for the reason of freedom of

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In today’s society, the first amendment is taken advantage of in many ways. Many people express that they can say whatever they please because they have the Freedom of Speech. They might burn the USA flag, make a racist remark, or some other kind of action, but what they do not realize is that this may hurt people. The First Amendment should be limited so that individuals can speak their mind so long as it does not hurt other people, or violates their rights.…

    • 445 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first amendment of the Bill of Rights, it clarified that all citizens of the United States have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. A democracy is a “government by the people”, if the government respects the freedom of speech, of the press, and of association, the 1st Amendment guarantees these freedom from the citizens, which is an important part of…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first Amendment of the United States Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression from government interference. This is one of the most important amendments in the constitution and is what America is most proud of. However, these rights aren’t all they are cracked up to be. For example, censorship is very common and goes against the freedom of speech. Censorship has many different roles in society both in the past and present. In the past it was used as a way for dictators to control their people and keep them from reading rebellious literature. Hitler even burned all books that he did not like.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The first amendment of the Bill of Rights 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.” (Bill Of Rights Institute). The first amendment gives citizens the protection of free speech, press, and protest, but the protection of religion is the most important of the Bill of Rights. This protection sets the United States apart from other countries; America was founded on the idea of…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The First Amendment secures four main freedoms and rights of the Constitution that affect American citizens every single day. These include the Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of Religion, Freedom of the Press, and the Right to Assembly. The Freedom of Speech certifies the ability to speak about current political issues and opinions. The Freedom of Religion insures that all citizens may practice any religion wished and attend mass or other religious practices of choice. The Freedom of the Press guarantees that the media may publish anything as long as it does not vitiate another’s reputation, unless the person is a public figure. Finally, the Right of Assembly. This right establishes the ability for citizens to meet publically or privately to…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The First Amendment guarantees “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press.” The freedom of speech, press, and religion have been pillars of the United States and other Democratic nations who knew the need to have these rights guaranteed. This idea was a major element of the Enlightenment period, the thoughts of John Locke, Jean Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire would be incorporated into the Constitution which included Freedom of Speech as a Human Right. Schenck v United States rules that the First Amendment stands for all speech as long as it doesn’t cause a “Clear and Present Danger.” No laws have been placed to decrease opinion.…

    • 1212 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects five fundamental freedoms: religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. These freedoms collectively form the bedrock of individual liberty, creating an environment where citizens can express themselves, participate in civic life, and hold their government accountable. Freedom of religion ensures that individuals have the right to practice their faith or choose not to, without interference from the government. Freedom of speech guarantees the right to express opinions and ideas, even those that may be unpopular or controversial; this freedom extends beyond mere verbal expression to encompass artistic, symbolic, and symbolic…

    • 1341 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The 1st Amendment gives individuals the freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition. Individuals have the freedom to choose any Religion that they want and cannot be controlled to choose a Religion that they do not wish to observe. Freedom of Speech allows individuals the right to say what they think. Freedom of the Press gives individuals the ability and the right to get information from many different sources. Individuals are also…

    • 787 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    On January 6, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave his “State of the Union Address,” in which he gave four essential human freedoms that everyone, everywhere must possess: Freedom to worship, freedom of speech, freedom from fear and freedom from want. He states these freedoms to be “a definite basis for a kind of world attainable in our own time and generation.” Roosevelt gives the idea that with these four freedoms, people are able to successfully work together in a civilized society. However, there are many instances today where these important freedoms are being challenged, or withheld from the American people. More specifically, people are being challenged on their freedom to worship, or freedom of religion. Freedom of religion is the…

    • 1351 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Today I will be discussing three freedoms from the first amendment. I will identify how these freedoms have developed in our society. You will also hear a few of my own personal experiences that I have had regarding these freedoms. The first amendment states : “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise there of, 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 greivencess.” In the next few paragraphs we will be discussing this. So lets begin. “ congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Religion is a topic that not many people like to talk about, yet it is an important one at that. Establishing a religion has come a long way in society. Back in the early 1900’s there were few religions, nowadays there a too many to count. Everyone believes something different, in a room of 75 people all may be a different religion. So from that you can see how much that freedom has been appreciated. You cannot tell someone not to believe what they do, so establishment of religion is where that plays a role. “freedom of speech” and “the right of the people to peaceably assembly.” To me these two freedoms deffinetly go together hand and hand. Think of protesters, they don’t always peaceably gather but they get their freedom of speech, to speak how they feel. Human rights activists assemble peaceably to raise money or make known a cause they are helping. If this freedom wasn’t here that couldn’t happen, just think how have these two freedoms benefited you? To conclude, our society wouldn’t be where it is today if we didn’t have these freedoms. There would be no progress. We have all benefited from these in one way or another, whether through ourselves or from someone else. For years to come the first amendment will continue to play a huge part in our…

    • 341 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Freedom of speech was granted to Americans in the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This freedom can be in the form of a peaceful protest or even a remark against the government. Without freedom of speech, it would be as though America had a dictatorship and no individual could speak of what they wished. Likewise, Americans would never rise up against what they did not agree with. Throughout American history freedom of speech has played a tremendous part in shaping the fundamentals of this nation. During the civil rights movement in the 1960’s, many civil rights activists such as Martin Luther King used their freedom of speech privilege to protest the many injustices they faced. Without these memorable protests, this country may still be a segregated nation. Freedom of press allows newspapers and television, as well as other forms of broadcasts, to say whatever they wish as long as it is reality. During presidential elections, candidates cannot hide from the press. Every flaw is shown to American public so that they can make their own judgment with all the facts provided.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    I will be discussing the 1st amendment , the first of 10 amendments . The first amendment is pretty much the freedom of speech and press. This amendment allows you to assemble and protest against the government without being prosecuted for it . This amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791 and it was written to guarantee is the right to express ourselves. Everyone has the right to seek, receive, and impart ideas without interference from other individuals or authorities. None of these things would be possible to do freely without the 1st amendment. Some significant court cases related to this amendment are Marsh v. Alabama and Cox v. New Hampshire. The Jehovah's witness Marsh stood near a post office one day and began handing out religious books to people passing by. Even though she was warned that she needed to leave and not hand out the books she proceeded to do so…

    • 1436 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A highly well-known right given to American’s is the freedom of speech which stems from the first amendment. This prohibits the government from creating any laws that could stop the people from exercising their feelings, or speaking their thoughts. American’s deserve the right to share their opinions as well as criticize our government. The first amendment is often seen as our most important right as American’s. In some countries, citizens are not allowed to criticize or question their government without the fear of being imprisoned. This right is important because it gives American’s the opportunity to give their own personal ideas and inventions regarding the government which creates the existence of multiple points of view. In turn, this initiates a productive and constructive society with a…

    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The First Amendment guarantees every American’s right to the free exchange of ideas, beliefs, and political debate. The First Amendment of the Constitution states that "Congress shall make no law… 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" (National Archives and Records Administration 2001). We have the right of freedom of speech and by definition, this means that we have “the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint” (Dictionary). This law is stated in the Bill of Rights and has been around since 1971. It is one of the oldest and most important amendments we adopted because as American people we have a…

    • 1792 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Americans are ingrained with the idea that they have complete freedom in this democratic society. In support of this unlimited liberty, they often cite the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, which states that "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” ("The United States Constitution"). Despite its general popularity, this amendment has come under Supreme Court scrutiny around 7000 times in the 223 years that the Bill of Rights has been in force (“Oyez Cases by Issue-First Amendment).…

    • 1484 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays