Persuasive Speech On Freedom Of Speech

1119 WordsNov 28, 20175 Pages
“Freedom of speech, let ‘em take it from me, next they’ll take it from you, then what you gonna do? Let ‘em censor books, let’em censor art, PRMC, this is where the witch hunt starts, you’ll censor what we see, we read, we hear , we learn.” - Critically Acclaimed Musician and Actor Ice- T. 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”.(First Amendment). The freedom of speech must be protected because it protects artists and allows people to express political dissent without fear of punishment. During times of…show more content…
If questioning if “ war on terrorism “ is an unpatriotic act, the same unpatriotic label would be put on Jane Addams and Eugene V. Debs during WWI, Wayne Morse and Ernest Gruening ,who voted against the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in 1964, and even are 16th President Abraham Lincoln during the time of Mexican War. ( Foner par.10). The 1st Amendment protection is not limited to just “pure speech” such as books and newspapers, but it also protects “ symbolic speech” nonverbal expression. This was made evident in the 1969 court decision Tinker v. Des Moines, that the court recognized the right of public school students to wear black armbands in the protest against of the Vietnam War.( American Civil Liberties Union par.8) The government can restrict some protected speech by imposing the “ time, place and manner” restrictions. This mostly done by a requirement for permits for meetings, rallies and demonstrations. “But a permit cannot be unreasonably withheld, nor can it be denied based on content of the speech.” By the viewpoint it be discrimination- and that is unconstitutional.(American Civil Liberties Union par. 9). The commitment to freedom of imagination and expression is deeply embedded in our national psyche, buttressed by the 1st Amendment, and supported by a long line of Supreme Court decisions. American history is filled with countless example of overt government censorship, from the 1873 Comstock Law to the 1996
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