The Importance Of Freedom Of Speech - 1394 Words

The First Amendment of the U.S. constitution states â€Å"Congress shall make no law [...] 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.† However, the right to freedom of speech has limits, including violence, inciting a riot, libel or slander and yelling fire in a theatre. At a private company, such as the NFL, there are even more limits to this freedom, depending on the organization’s terms and conditions and any contracts that must be signed by members. In college, Colin Kaepernick, a football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, joined a fraternity called Kappa Alpha Psi to find â€Å"a deeper connection to his own roots and a†¦show more content†¦Kaepernick stated that â€Å"[he is] not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color† (qtd. in Washington Post). As a biracial individual with multiple African-American friends, Kaepernick was exposed to the hardships that colored individuals face on a daily basis. Reid stated that â€Å"it baffles [him] that [their] protest is still being misconstrued as disrespectful to the country, flag, and military personnel† (NY Times). Clearly, their actions are being misunderstood by those who oppose their protest, even though disrespect was not part of their intentions. By taking a knee on the sidelines, players are not obstructing the game or physically affecting those around them, so they should not be disre garded. Rights stated in the Constitution should apply to all citizens, at all times, whether they work for a public or private company. Employees working for a private company are not protected under the First Amendment; they can get fired at any time, for no reason at all. The NFL has the right to fire players for protesting; however, since players are not posing a serious national threat, no legal action should be taken. In Steven Mitchell Sack’s The Employee Rights Handbook, he states that â€Å"in many states a private employer cannot discipline, fail to promote, or fire an employee because the company does not agree with the employee’s comments on matters of public concern† (148).Show MoreRelatedSpeech : Importance Of Freedom Of Speech1116 Words   |  5 PagesTopic/Title: The Importance of Freedom of Speech General Purpose: I want to inform my audience Specific Purpose: I want my audience to understand the importance of freedom of speech. Thesis: Freedom of speech is important because it allows new ideas to surface, encourages the development in social relationships to prosper, and it permits for the truth to prevail. Introduction A. Attention getter There is a famous written saying that adheres to the attitude of every important figure throughoutRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech979 Words   |  4 Pagesthe most cherished one: the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech gives citizens the right to express their own opinions publicly without government interference, violating laws, or inciting any kind of violence or rebellion. However, the first amendment does not mean anyone can simply say whatever they want. There are several topics that are strictly scrutinized by law and there are even some situations in which freedom of speech is lawfully restricted. Freedom of speech is an extremely important partRead MoreImportance Of Freedom Of Speech1455 Words   |  6 PagesIt is in these moments of confrontation that the importance of free speech becomes essential to finding a resolution that fits the needs and wants of the majority without disregarding the basic human rights of the minority being represented. Free speech sh ould have limits; this includes the use of inappropriate personal attacks, un-related subject matter/ lying, and inciting violence against others for their opinions and beliefs. Freedom of speech is one of the most important rights in society thatRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : The Importance Of The Freedom Of Speech1039 Words   |  5 PagesFreedom of speech is a right protected by the First Amendment. According to the administrative office of the United States Courts (n.d.), the First Amendment states that, â€Å"Congress shall make no law... abridging freedom of speech.† Freedom of speech is arguably one of the most cherished American values in the First Amendment. As defined by an online unabridged Dictionary (n.d.), The rights covered by freedom of speech include the right to express opinions publicly without governmental interferenceRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech1192 Words   |  5 Pagesamendment of the United States’ Bill of Rights states â€Å"Congress shall make no law... prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,†. Freedom of speech tends to be the most appreciated part of this ame ndment, while also causing the most anger. Most hate speech is protected under it, causing loads of controversy of the years. If the speech is not active fighting words threatening the livelihood of somebody, you’re allowed to say whatever you want. A landmark case in confirmingRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech878 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom of speech is a basic fundamental human right. Whether or not on a college campus, people (especially college students) should have the right to speak freely. Everyone does have the right to speak freely, because it is one of the twenty-seven amendments. Colleges all around the United States are now home to many restrictions on free speech. For example, the idea and use of â€Å"free speech zones† has made its way to colleges everywhere. A â€Å"free speech zone† is a sidewalk sized place where studentsRead MoreImportance Of Freedom Of Speech778 Words   |  4 Pagessomeone referring to Freedom of Speech, what c omes to your mind? How far should Freedom of Speech go for you or others? And when you see someone practicing Freedom of Speech, do you actually support it? In today’s society, some of us forget what Freedom of Speech actually is and how far it is actually extended. Freedom of Speech means, the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. Freedom of Speech is protected under the First Amendment. Freedom of Speech includes but is notRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech1526 Words   |  7 Pagesthem listed in our constitution in the 1st amendment is the right to freedom of speech. However, like many liberties, freedom of speech is not absolute under the supreme law of land. What this means is that yes we do have freedom of speech, but it is not protected by the government if it includes obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, true threats and speech integral to already criminal conduct. White, K. (2017, June 08) Speech is an important part of our democracy, it gives us the right to speakRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech956 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussed on campus to protect their students, but this hinders the quality of the students learning. Public college campuses should not safeguard student’s fr ee speech by providing safe spaces, presenting trigger warnings, or controlling who speaks on campus.   Ã‚  Ã‚   All students attending public colleges should be allowed the freedom of speech and not be shielded from what college officials deem necessary to censor. Colleges that provide safe spaces, physical places students can go to openly discuss controversialRead MoreThe Importance Of Freedom Of Speech1374 Words   |  6 Pages Freedom of speech is defined as â€Å"the political right to communicate ones opinions and ideas. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.†. It is a constitutional right under the first amendment. However, does freedom of speech really mean freedom of speech, or is it limited? Freedom of speech is the ability to speak without censorship or limitation. Also called freedom