Freedom of Speech Essay

French law student Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) once said, I may not agree with what you have to
say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. Speech is fundamental to the existence of mankind,
and for centuries man has communicated with his fellow man, which has allowed him to dominate over
most natural obstacles that have been hurled at him. Man, being the brilliant creature that he is,
implemented a set of rights and practices for his fellow man to follow, restricting certain accesses and
priorities, and limiting certain functions. Most of the limitations in our country can be found in our
Constitution; however, many of the other so-called laws have been brought to us simply by means of
status quo. Supporting this idea, Danish philosopher and religious thinker Soren Kierkegaard once said,
People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid. This
concept links the idea that a person is given or born with the ability to say anything, however he or she
does not always have something of importance to say. Along with freedom of speech one should also
remember the timeless Chinese proverb: speak slowly, but think quickly. This proverb reminds one that
words are how one is judged, and therefore we must choose the words we use wisely and take time to
think about the words we use before they are spoken.

The citizens of America have changed and influenced freedom of speech since its implementation. It can
be traced back to the chivalry of the English knights in the Middle Ages, or seen in a more modern light
with the death of Martin Luther King Jr., a man who was murdered as a revolutionary speaker and writer,
struggling for true equality in our country. It is important for one to respect the right of people or
individuals to express themselves in a responsible manner for civilized society to maintain itself.

As many things are in the world today, freedom of speech can be discussed from numerous viewpoints or
perspectives. One of these viewpoints can be seen as very positive and entails an amazing realm of
possibility, which includes the fundamental existence of democracy as well as human dignity. Speech has
also allowed man to pass down knowledge from generation to generation, learning from both success and
mistake to further progress the evolutionary cycle of mankind. Speech is directly linked with expression
because one often expresses himself through his diction, be it oral, written on paper, or passed on through
some other means. When asked at a press conference whether "the plug should be pulled" on a web site
that discussed drug use in his past George W. Bush said, in front of several television cameras, "Yes" and
added, "There ought to be limits to freedom."

Even though there are many positive aspects to speech, there are numerous frightening and dangerous
aspects as well. Due to the fact that speech is directly linked with expression, one has full power to use
that freedom to show his discontent with the status quo and the desire he has to change it. For example,
the lyrics of several contemporary rap artists today are oftentimes profane or vulgar; however, they are
able to use the solid argument that it is a gift granted to them by our very own government: the freedom of
expression. The controversy that is often found in freedom of speech is simply over the word freedom.
British novelist Salman Rushdie once said, What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to
offend, it ceases to exist. Salman was communicating the same thing that is being communicated through
countless pieces literature in contemporary society; if a person has been granted equal rights to another
person, and one person chooses to talk about the weather and the other chooses to talk about sex, drugs,
violence, and living the life of a rock and roll star, then both of those people are given the same equal
right: freedom of speech.

What one should consider is that we do indeed have a freedom of speech, as mentioned in the example of
rap artists expressing themselves. However, what one should also consider is that very same freedom of
speech is also given certain limitations and boundaries both by the government and the populous which it
supports, therefore not making it a true freedom of speech, but rather a constricted freedom, and a
freedom which we do not fully have. No matter what decisions are made about our freedom to express
ourselves freely, mankind must remember to value his precious words, and never constrict his most divine
freedom: the freedom of thought.