...Therefore, freedom is not absolute. In the West where personal freedom is held in the highest esteem, there are still definable limits. Freedom of speech, in the words of an American jurist, does not include the freedom to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theatre, unless of course there is a fire. America has enshrined in its constitution the Bill of Rights with the specific purpose of protecting the civil liberties of its citizens. Among its provisions are the freedoms of speech, religion, and peaceful assembly, together with the rights of due process. These statutes notwithstanding, they did not protect Japanese Americans from being forcefully relocated and incarcerated during World War II, and more recently, the detention of thousands of Arab-Americans following the 9/11 attacks. Today the injustices perpetrated on those Japanese-Americans are widely acknowledged, but significantly, the Supreme Court decision affirming the legality of that mass detention has yet to be overturned. There will always be limits to freedom; the pertinent question is where those lines are drawn and the role they play in the ordinary lives of the citizens. Limits on human freedom can be viewed likewise. In America there are definite limits but they are more like the moat; the citizens are hardly aware of them. They are not intrusive. Executive powers to establish military tribunals for example, are definite boundaries and gross infringements on the citizens’ freedom. Similarly Canada has its War Powers...
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...Freedom People today agree that freedom is a very important and that it should be part of their lives, but what does it mean to have freedom? Some would say it is the ability to do whatever you want as long as you do not break the law or hurt someone else, but others would say it is being able to do whatever you please without having any consequences. Many authors in the past wrote about this topic and what their definition of freedom was. Their writings inspired many people to think what freedom really meant and take action for freedom. A few of these authors were John Winthrop, Benjamin Franklin, and Ralph Emerson. John Winthrop categorized freedom into two categories, Natural Liberty and Civil Liberty. Benjamin Franklin was more interested in the economic side of freedom by being able to choose any job to become financially successful and having to do things for himself. Ralph Emerson’s definition of freedom was for people to think for themselves and do what they think is right. Just to worry about themselves instead of worrying about other people’s opinion and what others are doing. They all had different views of freedom and what it means to be free, but deep down they were similar in which people want the freedom to choose and be who they want to be without being punished or bound. John Winthrop’s definition of Natural Liberty is being able to do whatever people wanted and just relying on their instincts just like an animal would. “By this, man, as he stands in relation...
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...their own discriminatory laws instead of those of the federal government, withholding the rights long fought for by African Americans. The Freedom Riders, through simply riding the buses as was their constitutional right, forced the cities of the South to give them, and all other people, those rights. Starting with just one Greyhound bus leaving Washington, D.C. on May 4th, 1961, the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) began their “Freedom Rides”: Buses consisting of both blacks and whites riding across several major southern cities, ending, originally, in New Orleans, Louisiana on the 7th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, May 17th, 1961. The rides, however, did not go as planned. A few of the Freedom Riders were attacked in Rock Hill, South Carolina, leading the Riders to split their group in two the next day: one half riding a Trailways bus and the other...
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...Some people believe that freedom of speech is something that should be limited when it come to sensitive information. I feel that if its limited it not freedom. This was a big problem. Note it was a problem. Its not the information that is so called sensitive it’s the public’s reaction to it that causes the problem I think the world only has a problem with freedom of press when it’s either about them or if its bad press. I have never seen anyone complaining about press that is in his or her favor or anything that is not in his or her favor Freedom of the press is defined by dictionary.com as the right to circulate opinion in print without censorship from the government. America’s Founding Fathers believed so strongly in the right to free speech that they codified it in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states in part, “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” This right was considered so important it was the first of the ten freedoms protected by the Bill of Rights. So why should anyone think or feel that they can limit people on their right as humans. I see freedom of press as the same thing as freedom of speech. Most individual are fine with freedom of press until it hits home. So why take the right away when your in the spotlight. It just isn’t fair. I really don’t think that sensitive information sways people in the work plae one way or the other. For everything that said in the press there is...
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...extent are restrictions on freedom of speech justified in Australia? While there are laws that restrict Freedom of Speech in Australia in order to protect fundamental rights and to limit discrimination which emerged from multiculturalism, the same laws can also clash with the liberty of the citizens and with the right of Freedom of Speech itself. Introduction To establish the boundaries between the defense of Freedom of Expression and of minorities has become a challenge for modern states. The consolidation of different groups (ethnocultural , sexual diversity , immigrants, religious) within the base community has generated the need to redefine and strengthen the defense of the human rights. As Will Kymlicka explains, cultural mix requires an inclusive process, which involves the establishment of a group of rights that recognizes and protects the minorities. Conversely, the ongoing struggle of the minorities has a major difficulty: the delicate border between the defense of their rights and the violation of the rights of the community. Firstly, this essay aims to explain the current conception of Freedom of Speech, since it is a controversial issue, focusing on the importance of that right for the Australian society and for the world. Secondly, we will analyze whether Freedom of Speech needs limits and the role of harm speech and offense speech in that topic in Australia. Finally, the third paragraph will focus on the restrictions of Freedom of Speech in Australia...
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...closely linked than they have ever been. This is so not only in the fields of trade, commerce and communication, but also in terms of interactive ideas and ideals. And yet we also live in a world with remarkable deprivation, destitution and oppression. There are many new problems as well as old ones, including persistence of poverty and unfulfilled elementary needs, occurrence of famines and widespread hunger, violation of elementary political freedoms as well as of basic liberties, extensive neglect of the interests and agency of women and worsening threats to our environment and to the sustainability of our economic and social lives. Many of these deprivations can be observed, in one form or another, in rich countries as well as poor ones. Overcoming these problems is a central part of the exercise of development. We have to recognize, it is argued here, the role of freedoms of different kinds in countering these afflictions. Indeed, individual agency is, ultimately, central to addressing these deprivations. On the other hand, the freedom of agency that we have individually is inescapably qualified and constrained by the social, political and economic opportunities that are available to us. There is a deep complementarity between individual agency and social arrangements. It is important to give simultaneous recognition to the centrality of...
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...The Right to Freedom of Speech One of the greatest things about living in the United States is that it is a democratic society, it is considered to be “The Land of the Free”. The First Amendment gives Americans the right to freedom of religion and expression. This constitutes American people to speak freely without fear of harm or persecution. However like most things, freedom of speech has both positive and negative consequences. Freedom of Speech (liberty) is to speak and otherwise express oneself and or one’s opinion. The positive factors with freedom of speech are that one has the right to speak about something freely; rather right or wrong. The First Amendment restricts the government involvement based on content when expressions, ideas or opinions are expressed. Speaking freely can be done in many different ways; via the internet, television (media), conventions, work, the store, clothing, etc. The media however tends to be where most actions of speech are openly shared regardless of the topic or story. The media has a way to bring a story out, some positive information can be presented; but in most cases it appears to be hear say. Media allows the world (nation) to see what we are blind to, without it we would not know about our President’s and Senate’s affairs, our favorite sport entertainers and music artist violent actions, about what goes on in different countries, the war, our enemies. A lot of people find freedom of speech as a good thing, it almost...
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...Adrianus Raymond Media 1 section 4520 Review Questions for Chapter on Legal Controls and Freedom of Expressions 9/28/15 raymond_adrianus@student.smc.edu Explain the various models of the news media that exist under different political systems? 1. The following are the various models of the news media that exist under different political systems: Authoritarian model - a model for journalism and speech that do not tolerate criticism of government or public dissent; it holds that the general public needs guidance from an elite and educated ruling class. Today, this model operates in developing countries throughout Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Communism model - a model for journalism and speech that places control in the hands of an enlightened government, which speaks for ordinary citizens and workers in order to serve the common goals of the state. There are still a few countries using this model, including Myanmar, China, Cuba, and North Korea. Social Responsibility model - a model for journalism and speech, influenced by the libertarian model, that encourages the free flow of information to citizens so they can make wise decisions regarding political and social issues. This model characterizes the ideals of mainstream journalism in the United States. A social responsible press is usually privately owned. In this model, media function as a Fourth Estate - the notion that the press operates as an unofficial branch of government, monitoring the legislative...
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...Freedom of the Press Research Paper Kristine Najar Columbia Southern University Freedom of the press is the right to publish newspapers, magazines, and other printed matter without governmental restriction and subject only to the laws of libel, obscenity, sedition, etc. (Dictionary.com, 2013). Freedom of the press gives the right to circulate opinions in print or on broadcasted radio and television, without censorship by the government. Americans enjoy freedom of the press under the First Amendment to the Constitution. Though we have this right as Americans, we should not abuse it. This paper is an analysis of the problem that we face in our current society in America. I will discuss the history of Freedom of the Press, along with the abuse that we face today from politics to social media. In the United States we pride ourselves on the rights we have. We are the freest country in the world, but with that comes a huge responsibility. Many Americans abuse the free rights others worked so hard to accomplish. Freedom of the Press is just one of those hard-earned rights. Back in the early 18th century, there was a time when newspapers just printed material that was similar to books, pamphlets, and posters. Most of the information in the newspaper from the colonies was reprints of other publications, stories of local interest, literature, advertisements, and opinions (Illinois Press Association Guide to First Amendment and Illinois Access Laws, 1995) Then, the Stamp Act of 1756...
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...of rights in 1786 when he wrote “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of press, not that be limited without danger of losing it.” It is precisely when the free press is telling us what we don’t want to hear, when it’s challenging government officials, exposing government misconduct and refusing to be the unofficial mouthpiece of any government agency, that the press stands most in need of peoples’ protection. The form of media that we commonly refer to as the "news," disseminates information with the primary goal of informing the citizenry and, thereby, the democracy. This is in contrast to the political / entertainment media which diffuses information with the primary goal of generating profit, money and/or political power, regardless of its impact on democracy. Because media, generally, has no citizenship (media is not human), no form of media has an inalienable right to freedom of speech. However, as part of its information-providing role and in order to fulfill its vital mission, the news media must be free to report its observations that are facts regardless of the potential outcomes. In other words, media has an inherent duty to observe, investigate and report to the public about government and political process, and must, therefore, be able to report those observations free of infringements by government or any other force, including and most especially corporations. This freedom of speech protection must extend to those areas of the "news" that involve...
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...Freedom Writers Self-concept is the entirety of one's beliefs and attitudes towards their personal existence. Many people, depending on life experience, feel they have superiority or are at a disadvantage because of the group they fall into. This is seen in the movie Freedom Writers, each and every student has their own perspective on their own self-concept. These students end up finding similarities between each other because they have some sort of connection but only find it once they learn and open up about their struggles. There are many concepts of the self that can be found throughout the entire film. Empathy is one of the major concepts of The Freedom Writers. Empathy is the ability to put yourself into another person’s experience and to completely understand the other’s thoughts, feelings and way of being. (P.78) An example of empathy is when Mrs. G reads the journals and can really put herself into their shoes and really understand their individual experiences. If Mrs. G didn’t have a strong sense of empathy for the students, she never would have been able to help them conquer their personal demons. Mrs. G used a strategy called identity management to connect with the students. Identity management is when communicators use certain strategies to influence the way others view them. (P.81) An example of this is when Mrs. G plays Tupac in an effort to relate to the kids in the class. She hopes to have them see that they may have something in common...
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...Speechless Freedom Robert Landrum COM/156 August 28, 2014 Adam Meehan Introduction Music has been a part of American culture since the early sixteenth century and during that time period musicians had the freedom to use their music as a medium to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas without the threat of restraints or punishment. In this day and time, musicians are held to a totally different standard because some people perceive music as being a form of art and literature while others view music as being immoral and detrimental to the Christian principles that are so prevalent in our society. Music censorship was introduced in 1927, by way of the Radio Act, which prohibited the use of obscene, indecent or profane language on radio airways. In 1934 the Federal Communications Commission was created by Congress and at this point, censorship encompassed not only music but all public mediums for artistic expressions. Censorship has been used as a tool to suppress artistic expressions from entertainment to literature and even though the First Amendment affords us the right to freedom of expression, censorship still has the power to dictate how we express our thoughts, feelings and ideas. The debate over censorship deals mainly with the First Amendment and whether or not it is constitutional for opposing groups or individuals to impose their beliefs upon our fundamental right to exercise freedom of speech. Music censorship has become a mainstream social issue because...
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...amendment and the issues we looked at, as stomach wrenching as some of the ideas and arguments were I do not think they went to far. The first amendment is a beautiful thing for everybody and how they choose to use it is their own choice and freedom. In any democracy there is a give and take, a good and evil, there are going to be people who do amazing and positive things by use of the first amendment. There will also be people like the Phelps family, who cowardly hide behind it, exploit it for all it stands for and push their radical religious views in a disgusting manner. Be that as it may, they do indeed have the right to do so and for every few months when we hear about their types of ridiculous behaviors and antics their are millions of others using freedom of speech for good and helpful reasons. 2. If we did revise, who would decide and what would be possible ramifications? The constitution states in the preamble WE THE PEOPLE, for no other reason than that, WE THE PEOPLE should be the ones who should have the power to change it. If the government wanted to change it the constition would be tainted for all it stands for. I think looking at it rationally where can you really change it? Are you going to change it to freedom of speech is ok only if everyone likes what you are going to say? no cause then what is everything you say going to have to go through a filter process? Theres to many hypotheticals to change a rule thats been around before we were here and...
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...Freedom of Speech, Hate Speech, & Talk Radio Brice Hinchman Freedom of Speech, Hate Speech, & Talk Radio What is Freedom of speech? Well, the definition for freedom of speech is the ability to speak freely without being subject to censorship or without fear of retaliation from a governing body. There are at least two documents, the US Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, that acknowledge that free speech is an unalienable right and protect it for all. There is another form of speech that may or may not be protected, depending on the circumstances, under the same documents and that is hate speech. Some of the limitations that are put in place by Government, employers, and educational facilities are a violation of what freedom of speech is really about, being able to freely speak your mind, but are necessary to protect the rights and liberties of other individuals. The freedom of speech is a very powerful right that is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Our Founding Fathers set the stage when they wrote the Declaration of Independence by stating that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (Choices, 81). One of these liberties and unalienable rights was the Freedom of speech. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was ratified...
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...and abuses of adolescent's free speech in school in this era when false news stories, that are nothing more than opinion have escalated and the freedom of the press is so often under attack. The freedom of speech is a core principle and right given to the American people under the Constitution. This freedom ensures the continuing development of democracy, as well as many other freedoms that our nation can easily take for granted. Institutions of free speech and freedom of press ensure that the truth is exposed and that ideas improve (Stark & Soltis, 2015). However, John Mill in his essay, “On Liberty,” points out that these same freedoms are cut back for minors still in the care of their parents (as...
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