The New Freedom

How important is freedom of thought? Benjamin Franklin is quoted as saying, "Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom & no such thing as publick liberty without freedom of speech." Freedom of thought is defined as the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, independent of others' viewpoints1. In Chapter 2 of John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty, Mill addresses the issue of whether people should be allowed to limit, or eliminate, anyone’s…

Likewise, to the citizens in Oceania, they are people in today’s society who are restricted for certain human rights. These violations of human rights usually take places in a totalitarian country where the government restricted its citizens of some of their human rights such as the right to privacy. As William Pfaff said, “The defining characteristic of totalitarianism is its assault on privacy. The individual in a totalitarian state is deprived of privacy in order to destroy his or her…

Sedition Act of 1798 created a great debate over the meaning of freedom of speech and the press because it limited what people could say. The two opposing views were crafted by Henry Lee and James Madison. Lee believed that freedom of speech and the press meant exactly what it did when Blackstone wrote it for England, which is that it is a freedom from prior restraint and nothing more. However, Madison stated that the American concept of freedom of the press and speech went beyond what is stated…

The first amendment of the Bill of Rights, is something I never quite paid very much attention to. Not until this podcast on Free Speech and why it is so important for people to have the right to Free Speech. The freedom to free speech has given me the right to use my voice and not to be afraid for my life because of my beliefs and opinions . Like mentioned before about not having to worry for my life because of my beliefs, in the podcast “On Free Speech” Stephan Law goes over how religion…

Amendment protects freedom of speech with restrictions made by the court to protect the peace of society. These exceptions include any speech that is libel, obscenity or incites imminent violence and illegal activity. The government may intervene and take action against the students if the material of the publication or their conduct is considered unprotected speech. The government may try to use fighting words as a justification for arresting the students by citing Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire…

What does the Declaration of Independence mean by the Freedom of speech? You probably use this right as an American citizen every day, but there is a difference between the freedom of speech and the freedom of thought. Jarome Lawrence’s book Inherit The Wind discusses how unpopular opinions are punishable by law and there is no room for science in a world of god. The unsettling thought that one is pressured to share the same opinions as others in fear of persecution on a personal or legal level.…

“The Bell Tolls for Liberty on Campus” insinuates how college students fail to understand the freedoms and principles granted by the Constitution. Particularly, Berkeley’s students and Antifa groups have been responsible for the increase in violence during events hosted by conservative speakers such as Ben Shapiro. Essentially, I agree with Krass’ argument regarding the influence of social media and new sources because both utilities enable current college students not to face speakers with…

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, a draft for a bill to establish religious freedom in Virginia, was written by Thomas Jefferson, and was officially passed in 1786. Thomas Jefferson believed that it was a God given right for the new nation to have religious freedom. At the time Jefferson constructed the draft, Baptists in Virginia were facing discrimination and persecution by the Anglicans due to their choice of religion. The Anglicans were the established religion in Virginia, which…

“Should national security override free speech?” Freedom of speech was first established in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution in 1791, and almost two centuries later, in the International Declaration of Human Rights, the UN recognised freedom of speech as a human right (reference). The question of whether or not national security should override the freedom of speech has been, and continues to be a controversial subject, particularly among governments and law-abiding…

The youthful generation’s minds fluctuate with the ideas of success and achievement. Many find themselves in difficult situations that hinder them from believing that success can be found in the palm of their hands. The movie, Freedom Writers, provides an inspiration view into the lives of troubled high school students fighting for success and for survival. The motivational movie should be presented as part of the curriculum of Slippery Rock’s Critical Writing course. The film exhibits ideas of…