Censorship: Is it ever Permissible to Restrain Speech?
"Censorship." The word is such a powerful one that to many Americans the idea of any type of censorship seems to be the worst human rights violation imaginable. After all, if speech is controlled, how can people express differing political views and bring about desired social change? This viewpoint of the primary importance of free speech in a free society is a very American approach to the concept of censorship. However, as the internet has made it possible for people to cross country and boundaries with simply the click of a mouse, more and more people are becoming aware that American ideals of free speech are hardly universal. In other countries, some human rights are seen as even more important than the freedom of speech. This paper will explore the concept of free speech as it exists in America, limitations on free speech in other countries, and the possible conflict that will may exist between American and foreign free speech laws when a company provides internet services to people in multiple countries.
Americans base their right to free speech in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment provides that, "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" (U.S. Const. amend. I). While the text of the language is broad, it does not protect all speech in all circumstances. On the contrary, only two categories of speech, religious speech and political speech, generally receive the greatest protections for free speech and there are several well-recognized exceptions in which the government can abridge the freedom of speech.
For example, when the act of speech is expected to create a dangerous situation, then the First Amendment does not protect the speech (Freedom Forum). Likewise, if the words are fighting words that are likely to incite immediate violence, then they are not protected under the First Amendment (Freedom Forum). Libel and slander can be punished,...
Censorship -- Pro The First Amendment has been part of the Bill of Rights since the creation of the Constitution in 1789. It was created to ensure that people would be able to express their ideas, whether they be political or religious, without fear of repercussion from the government. The Amendment would create a country where people could practice their own religion without fear of persecution like their ancestors did in
Censorship on the Internet Kaul, V. (2012). "The pros and cons of new media and media freedom." Journal of Mass Communication and Journalism, Vol. 2, Issue 5. In his research study, author-researcher Kaul discussed the implications of using the Internet technology in launching what is called the new media, both in the context of journalistic/press freedom and freedom of expression of the civil society in general. More specifically, the author provided a
Censorship in Music Censorship Under the Guise of Protecting the Children Rock and Roll Culture Hip Hop Culture Is Censorship in Music Viable and Does it Make a Difference? There have been many attempts by society control music. Governmental statutes, agency regulations, business controls and parents have all tried to censor the music. Sometimes they have succeeded and sometimes they have not. The examination of various aspects of rock and rap music censorship involves general
Censorship: An Overview and Analysis of Lord of the Flies Censorship involves suppression of intellectual freedom and free speech based on the notion that a work, piece of art or literary masterpiece violates some social or moral order. Lord of the Flies is an example of a literary work that has been censored and that has caused controversy in society for many reasons over time. Lord of the Flies like many
Censorship Looks at the history of the U.S.A. And the stand they have taken for long on the issue of censorship and the general intention of censorship from the historical times. Gives details on censorship and examples where it has been used and created wide controversy. The body also gives the response by the government and the responsible agencies to issues to do with censorship. It also gives the responsibility of the
In short, individuals in favor of an increase in government control over censorship recognize that they must necessarily walk a fine line between their aims and violating American's freedoms of expression. However, they stress the dual responsibility of our government: to both uphold our rights and our moral codes. Kimball concludes, "Society had an interest in protecting free speech and free circulation of ideas. It also has an interest
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