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The importance of freedom of speech
The importance of freedom of speech
Significance of freedom of speech and expression
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“Pride is still aiming at the best houses: Men would be angels, angels would would be gods. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell; aspiring to be angels men rebel.” - Alexander Pope. Shays’ Rebellion was a protest against the government for charging people with so little money huge taxes and was led by Daniel Shays. The Shays’ Rebellion occurred in Massachusetts in January of 1787.
American Constitution Introduction History shows that pluralism is linked to democracy which is a system characterized by checks and balances of autonomy or power. Such autonomy is the one in play in forging an agreement of the general interest that dictates administrative strategy or policy framework. On the other hand elitism notion regarding the administration states that a chosen few of the most affluent and influential people or groups direct and influence public policy that works in their favor and satisfies their own interests. Various scholarly standpoints reveal that a more contemporary notion of American administration and partisan matters incorporate the two worldviews of partisan behavior.
Freedom of expression is one of the laws the forefathers of America made to empower its citizens and also enables them to live in peace amongst themselves. In most countries around the world, freedom of expression does not exist, so there is always war in those countries. In the article “Why the First Amendment (and Journalism) Might Be in Trouble”, the authors, Ken Dautrich, chair of the Public Policy at the University of Connecticut and John Bare, who is the vice president for strategic planning and evaluation at the Arthur M. Blank Family foundation in Atlanta, conducted a research study on the importance of freedom of speech. They used their research findings to support freedom of expressions. They employed claim of policy, claim of fact and also appeal to pathos and logos in their argument of the importance of the freedom of speech.
If you look back to the founding of our country you can see that we have fought war after war to protect are ability to have a first amendment right. Wouldn’t you say that it is a pretty important issue if we are willing to send millions of men and women to fight, and potentially die, for its cause? The first amendment is important because without it there are ghastly consequences. Just look at countries that don’t have the option to speak freely, such as China or North Korea. In these places they are people who constantly have to live in fear about saying the wrong thing to the wrong person.
The first settlers in America came to the New World to seek religious liberty. Taking a risk, they began their treacherous journey to an unknown land in order to practice their own beliefs without limitation. Later in the narrative of the making of America, the founding fathers drafted a constitution-- a collection of laws and regulations which set up the government we still know and practice today. Arguably the most important part of the constitution, the first amendment, gives citizens the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. These freedoms have been the backbone of this great country for centuries, has set us apart from other nations, and has shaped the course of American history.
As a teenager moving to a new country with a different culture, different language, and being thousands of miles away from everyone I grew up with was not an easy change, however, that was precisely what I did in January of 2013 when I came to the United States with my father. My whole world changed since, and shaped my way of thinking. From learning English, adjusting to a new culture, experiencing my first snow and finding my way in my new country, my life has been an exciting adventure. My parents brought me to America almost 5 years ago to have a better life, and to get a better education.
Media Censorship: Good or bad? On the last decades, the freedom of speech has become one of the most discussed and relevant topics inside general population and governments. When it comes to human basic rights, it is clear that the free and open shared of information and communication between all parts plays an important role to ensure a healthy development and progress. However, to think that every country will be willing to spread all kinds of ideas and opinions without placing a boundary would be a utopian assumption.
Freedom of Speech Freedom of speech is the freedom all people have, to express what they consider and express any opinions. It is an ability to express our opinions freely without being punished or censored. All people throughout the world are entitled and must have right to freedom of speech. However, how much do we know about freedom of speech: when did it occur? Does every countries have it?
Many people over the world rely on ‘real life’ and ‘offline’ action and behaviours to express their opinion on politics. For those without the internet, their voices may go unheard and ignored. Furthermore, Papacharissi expresses that popular forums online may not create a utopian democratic society as many extremist groups are able to discuss their views online. Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is a great illustration of how the internet can publicize extremist views and undemocratic values, as they promote racism towards African-American citizens. These negative effects are a creating a significant obstruction towards the creation of a global democratic society.
Furthermore, in many developing countries or in those with oppressive regimes, government actions are more important than the Internet in defining how information is produced and consumed, and by whom. There are so many counties that use strict censorship in their media. “Present-day examples include Russia as a territorially shrunken successor state to the former USSR, China and North Korea” (Höchli, 2010). Censorship in North Korea is known to be the most intense among the world. With a government such as theirs, they are able to take strict control over communications.
What freedom of expression means is that everyone is allowed to express their opinions in whatever way they see fit without restraint, suppressions or penalty from the government. The people should freely be able to look at information and ideas. If a government manipulates opinions and ideas of the citizens by limiting their accessibility to information and using bias, it would be a violation of their right to freedom of
Malaysian has the right to freedom of speech which is guaranteed by Article 10 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The Article 10 allows all citizens the absolute freedom as not restricted by the government. In Malaysia, Law such as Publications act and printing presses give the Malaysian authorities the control over all the media. Any act that against this law may lead to fines or in much extreme cases, prison sentence. Although Malaysia has the right to freedom of speech, the media are still being controlled by the government which restrict them to publish anything against the government.
As human beings, we are all born with an entitlement of freedom of speech or synonymously known as freedom of expression as it is a basic human right. It is stated in the Federal Constitution and it is important for us human beings to protect our rights to freedom of speech and expression as it is the backbone for a democratic society. Having the right to express oneself freely without any restrictions is an essential part of what it means to be a free human being. Article 10 in the Federal Constitution states that; (a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression; (b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; (c) all citizens have the right to form associations.
Media plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy. It is the backbone of a democracy; it makes us vigilant of numerous social, political and economic activities happening around the world. Media has very important roles to play in democracy such as; projecting the problems of the people to the public, and protecting the fundamental rights given in a Constitution. Philip C. Galanis states in his essay The Fourth Estate of The Bahamas “For many decades, there has been historically a tug-o-war between the media and politicians in the Bahamas”. In his essay he explains the importance of the media and its effect on the general public.
1.0 INTRODUCTION In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), freedom of speech falls under the Article 19 which is the freedom of opinion and expression. It protects one’s freedom ‘to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers’ (The United Nations, 1948). Article 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adds that the freedom of expression could be ‘either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice’. Besides being an individual’s fundamental liberty of expression, Santa Clara University School of Law Professor Russell W. Galloway (1991) states that free speech is the ‘matrix of all other freedoms’.
