Prior to the American Revolution in the 18th century, The right to freely express yourself was barely ever recognized by governments and institutions. Instead, citizens were censored and were not able to speak out against their government, or hold opinions that were contrary to popular belief. This paper argues that everyone should be able to freely speak their mind in public without restrictions, and that freedom of speech is an absolute right.
Although limited freedom of speech and expression was practiced in the Roman Republic, the first mention of it in modern history is in 1689 with the ratification of the English Bill of Rights. The document stated that freedom of speech exists inside Parliament. However, this did not protect the right …show more content…
Freedom of speech allows us to prevent tyranny by being able to speak out against our own government. In countries where freedom of speech is not protected such as North Korea, citizens can be sent to prison camps for saying anything negative about their government. This means that North Korean citizens do not have the ability to voice their opinions about issues that affect them, and are not able to hold their government accountable if they do something wrong (which happens frequently in North Korea). In countries such as the United States where people do have freedom of speech, the government pays much more attention to the demands of the public, and the government is much less tyrannical than North Korea’s.
Freedom of speech allows for the ability to hear new and different opinions. In a democratic society, it is important for people to hear thoughts other than their own in order to challenge their own opinions. Diversity of thought is an essential part of a peaceful society. If people are exposed to a wide variety of viewpoints, they are more likely to respect other people whose ideas are different from their own. In recent years, college campuses have become incubation centers for students with certain opinions, and hostile environments for those who happen to believe
Although limited freedom of speech and expression was practiced in the Roman Republic, the first mention of it in modern history is in 1689 with the ratification of the English Bill of Rights. The document stated that freedom of speech exists inside Parliament. However, this did not protect the right …show more content…
Freedom of speech allows us to prevent tyranny by being able to speak out against our own government. In countries where freedom of speech is not protected such as North Korea, citizens can be sent to prison camps for saying anything negative about their government. This means that North Korean citizens do not have the ability to voice their opinions about issues that affect them, and are not able to hold their government accountable if they do something wrong (which happens frequently in North Korea). In countries such as the United States where people do have freedom of speech, the government pays much more attention to the demands of the public, and the government is much less tyrannical than North Korea’s.
Freedom of speech allows for the ability to hear new and different opinions. In a democratic society, it is important for people to hear thoughts other than their own in order to challenge their own opinions. Diversity of thought is an essential part of a peaceful society. If people are exposed to a wide variety of viewpoints, they are more likely to respect other people whose ideas are different from their own. In recent years, college campuses have become incubation centers for students with certain opinions, and hostile environments for those who happen to believe