Should First Amendment Be Allowed In Schools

Improved Essays
America is no longer the land of the free. Under the First Amendment, the citizens of the United States are guaranteed many freedoms, including the freedom of speech. However, this right has become more limited over the past years. Not everyone has the same beliefs, but this should not prevent citizens from freely expressing their First Amendment rights. There have been many instances where employees have lost their jobs due to certain posts made about others on Facebook and Twitter. Although it is unprofessional to speak harshly about colleagues or the workplace on social media, these websites, just like the United States, are places where users can freely speak their minds. It is unfair to the citizens of the United States that they might be punished …show more content…
For example, it has been debated whether or not events such as the Holocaust should be taught to students. It is disturbing to know that educators are trying to avoid informing students about the past. Whether the topic is positive or negative, all students should have the right to learn about their nation’s history. An event like the Holocaust may disturb younger students, so instead of completely avoiding the topic, it should be taught to a more mature group of students. Learning about events like this not only helps students understand the past, but also informs them on the importance of accepting others. As John Stossel states in his book, No They Can’t, “Life is fairer when individuals are free to make their own decisions.” The government should not decide whether or not a citizen is allowed to freely speak their mind on social media websites, fly a Confederate flag, publically display religious symbols, or learn about certain historical events. Free speech, one of the most important principles that America was founded on, should never be

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    1.) What are the common characteristics of these re-founding eras: Jacksonian Democracy, the Civil War, and the New Deal? How was Jefferson’s re-founding different? • The Jeffersonian re-founding was an effort to protect citizens liberty from an overreaching federal bureaucracy. It also led to the merges of political parties.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Freedom of speech has always been a topic of conversation on whether or not we really have it, or it’s portrayed like we do so the American people can be content. There is plenty of proof on the fact that our freedom of speech is actually being taken away from us. Even now as our generation is more open minded, it doesn’t mean that we allow for anyone to have what they think is right, heard. Then whenever we question that our right is being taken away, we are meant with critiques that we are just babies and Liberal snowflakes that don’t really know what it is to not have freedom of speech. There are cases like with what happened with the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, which was taking a stand by kneeling during the national anthem as a way to protest against…

    • 1474 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Freedom of expression is a uniquely American tradition, at least to the extent we have here. Amy Witherbee, a researcher who studies how democracy and censorship go hand and hand said “At the core of censorship is always a parallel belief in the ability of an idea to alter lives and change nations. The challenge is to let those ideas wreak their havoc, and trust in our capacity as the citizens of a democracy to make of the damage something better than what was there before. If, on the other hand, we close down the arguments, retract the controversies, and avoid the challenges, then what we have is not a real democracy, but a nation afraid to lead itself” (Witherbee Par. 12). The First amendment is in place to protect citizens from censorship.…

    • 1855 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Freedom of speech is something that has been long instilled in the minds of Americans. Some seem to suppose they have complete freedom of that right, however, there are rules and restrictions. Many are not aware of these limitations and are not aware of just how many our world possesses. Some countries have more restrictions than others, but overall there are some phrases that are against the law to use, for example, shouting “fire” in a theater full of people (Turley 160).…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The same study by the First Amendment Center mentioned earlier had displayed some surprising results when it came to knowledge of what the First Amendment is. Nearly all Americans are supposed to, or should know their First Amendment rights from high school education. Apparently this is not the case, as only 59% of Americans can list the freedom of speech as being included in the First Amendment. While this seems rather unsettling that only roughly half of Americans know that this is a protected right, there are still 4 other rights that are protected by the First Amendment. The percentages of Americans understanding that these rights are protected are dramatically lower than knowledge of the free speech protections.…

    • 1179 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is Freedom of Speech? The Merriam-Webster dictionary define freedom of speech as “the right to express facts and opinions subject only to reasonable limitations (as the power of the government to protect itself from a clear and present danger) guaranteed by the 1st and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and similar provisions of some state constitutions”. Freedom of speech is ones right to say what you please without fear of being punished, is among one of the most treasured freedoms throughout America. The founders of the United States government tried to protect our liberty by assuring a free press, to gather and publish information without being under control or power of another, in the First Amendment to the Constitution. As we know, the Supreme Court plays an important role in the subject of free speech and expression, and we need to understand that…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Our free speech is what makes The United States of America the United States of America, and if we take that away, our country would be corrupt, actions of disagreement, protesting, and more things like that. I agree with the Supreme Court's decision that allows the Westboro Baptist Church to protest in military funerals. The reasons I think this are because you cannot limit free speech, if you limit free speech, people everywhere would be protesting, there would be a nation outrage, and we would be violating the bill of rights. The Westboro Baptist Church is an organization that is known for its hate speech and have been involved in actions with gay people since about 1991.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    In the Untied States of America, the First Amendment allows individuals the right to freedom of speech, press, and religion. According to The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication, “The First Amendment to the U.S Constitution includes only 45 words. It says, 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” (Trager. p52). However, there seems to be room for debate…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Schools should be allowed to limit students’ online speech. But schools should limit students’ online freedom of speech because students’ cyberbully students and staff, disrupt students learning, and impacts other people 's lives. Both Freedom of Speech and The First Amendment has the same meaning, which is that there is no law that abridge the freedom is the right to give your opinion about a topic. The freedom to speak or write without the government restraint and First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, religion, and petition and they have the right to seek out writing and thoughts of anyone they choose to hear or write. The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, the constitution did not included all the freedom escentuals…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Jessica Drass March 23, 2016 Can the United States government take away the rights in the first amendment after promising the those very rights applied to all? Student and teachers have seemed to take turns taking one another to court to discuss students freedoms and rights in and out of the classroom. A few of these cases have been tried in the Supreme Court in an attempt to change the laws surrounding the issue.…

    • 1588 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Our first amendment right gives us the right to say what we want, and where we want, which Americans hold near and dear to them. First amendment rights seem to clash when it comes to students. The article argues that student speech should be treated differently depending on whether the speech occurs under school supervision. In the article, it talks about student speech under school supervision and student speech outside of the school.…

    • 571 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The First Amendment 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.” The establishment of the Amendment allows for the prevention of Censorship by the Government. Censorship by the government would take away a large amount of rights for all people. The First Amendment is important as it allows for freedom of expression in entertainment, speech, and politics. The government is trying to censor Television shows from kids.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The first amendment of the constitution is the right of free speech; throughout our history the first amendment has been interpreted in a number of ways. Despite this fact all Americans agree that this is one of our most important rights, and lays the foundation for our nations core beliefs. The first amendment is a short statement “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.” (1) Though it holds a great deal of power, it upholds strong personal values, and sets a precedent for the future of our country.…

    • 1249 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When you as an educator take the time to consider the rationale for your lessons on the Holocaust, you will be more likely to select content that speaks to your students’ interests and provides them with a clearer understanding of a complex history. Most students demonstrate a high level of interest in studying this history precisely because the subject raises questions of fairness, justice, individual identity, peer pressure, conformity, indifference, and obedience—issues that adolescents confront in their daily lives. Students are also affected by and challenged to comprehend the magnitude of the Holocaust; they are often particularly struck by the fact that so many people allowed this genocide to occur by failing either to resist or to protest.…

    • 118 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Ethical Issues Of Social Media

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 2 Works Cited

    The two areas that are the most difficult to construct rules around are how and why such sites are used. Employers need to be careful not to construct social media polices that are not overly broad. While a clear business need exists to protect proprietary information, employers should also be careful not to exceed their bounds and attempt to prevent employees from organizing and voicing their opinions on work conditions. If an employer attempts to prevent employees from organizing to voice opinions on current working conditions the company’s social media policy would violate of Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. While employers have been successful at winning lawsuits pertaining to termination of employees based on a single disparaging remark made by an employee as soon as other employees begin to become involved the courts tend to rule in favor of the employees.…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    • 2 Works Cited
    Improved Essays