Freedom of speech is the right to express or communicate an individual’s ideas, views and opinions without any obstructions or fear of punishment. It is not limited to speech alone, and includes written and other forms of communication such as freedom of press which gives one the right to question, criticize and voice their opinions. Freedom of speech (or expression) is a fundamental human right which is also recognized by the constitution of India.
The constitution of India guarantees individual rights which are stated in articles 19, 20, 21 and 22. Article 19 being the most important, makes the freedom of speech and expression, a fundamental right. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, provides, in
Free speech is the gateway to the actual truth of the world. A free society is like a breeding ground for innovation, creativity and new ideas to flourish and flaunt. Unhindered speech acts as a tool for the journalists and media to expose the corruptive methods adopted by those who abuse power. But its importance goes on to play a very crucial role in any decision making in a society, as it is preceded by discussion and consultation of different and wide range of
Some of the incidents include:
▪ The Charlie Hebdo shooting incident, as a result of the French magazine's controversial depiction of the Prophet
▪ the banning of the documentary film 'India's Daughter' directed by Leslee Udwin, based on the December 16, 2012. Delhi gang-rape.
▪ banning of the novel 'Satanic Verses' written by Salman Rushdie, for its blasphemous references to the Islamic community.
▪ the arrest of the two girls in Thane, for posting a comment against the shutdown in Mumbai after the death of Bal Thackeray and for liking it.
These incidents highlight the restrictions of freedom of speech and expression even in the present day world, despite it being a fundamental right of an individual.
VIEWPOINTS
Censorship is all about perspective and it will always remain a heated debate with arguments and counter arguments. Here are some of the different viewpoints:
Viewpoints that support
I believe this article “The Global Culture War”, has potential to be in the current Perspective book. Even though this article seemed very biased, globally it makes you wonder how this conflict has risen. It’s hard to tell who is wrong or right in this situation; the artists whom insulted ones religion, or the people who destroyed an artist work of free speech. Where is the middle ground to situations like these? As we learned previously from articles in Perspective, you have to think of a situation at many angles. Globally, there are so many religions throughout the world, not everyone has the same values.
Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press”. Although this amendment gave people the right express thier opinions, it still rests in one’s own hands as how far they will go to exercise that right of freedom of speech.
This source supplies my paper with more evidence of how freedom of speech is in a dangerous place. American has always stood by freedom of speech, and to see how social media platforms try to manipulate and take off as the choose to increase slight bias is unpleasant. The article establishes a worry to the fellow readers that hold freedom of speech so high and that it is at risk. The article manages to explain why freedom of speech is in danger, and why there should be no limits to free speech.
1. The measure of a great society is the ability of its citizens to tolerate the viewpoints of those with whom they disagree. As Voltaire once said, “I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” (Columbia). This right to express one's opinion can be characterized as “freedom of speech.” The concept of “freedom of speech” is a Constitutional right in the United States, guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution:
“Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it” were the famous words of Mark Twain. Since early times censorship has had a critical role in history. Many individuals do not understand the true meaning of censorship because they were either brought up to see it as something different or they misinterpret it from how history looks at it. It has been misconstrued by history to be seen as a negative but in reality it is meant to be positive.
According to the “Derechos, Human Rights”, freedom of speech is one of the most dangerous rights, because it means the freedom to express one's discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. These types of rights are protected by ACLU and other type of organization like UNESCO. ACLU is “America’s nation's guardian of liberty”, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in America. Freedom of speech is a gift to human beings, without this right the people couldn’t express themselves or even worst, to say what they feel or want for a better life. United States is one of the countries that protect this right, but in the world there are governments that do not respect and do not know that this right exists. The relation between democratic government and freedom of speech is that they both depend in each other.
Imagine a time when one could be fined, imprisoned and even killed for simply speaking one’s mind. Speech is the basic vehicle for communication of beliefs, thoughts and ideas. Without the right to speak one’s mind freely one would be forced to agree with everything society stated. With freedom of speech one’s own ideas can be expressed freely and the follower’s belief will be stronger. The words sound so simple, but without them the world would be a very different place.
Freedom of speech is the gift to speak one’s mind, challenge political figures, stand up for what you believe in, and most importantly never have a fear that the words you say can cost you your life.2 In the 1800s-1900s many inventions such as the television, radios, typewriter, and telephone were invented that have allowed ones speech to reach all of the United States within a turn of a switch.3
What is often called “the spark that started it all,” occurred on December 17, 2011 in Tunisia. A street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest the corruption of the government. (Arab Spring, 2013) The 26 year old Bouazizi sold vegetables on the streets of Tunisia to make a living. His self-immolation was brought on when his cart of vegetables was confiscated by a policewoman. (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi then went to the provincial headquarters to complain to officials about his situation. However, they refused to see him. Angered at the way he was being treated, Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest. (Abouzeid, 2011) He was taken to the hospital and stayed there until his death on January 4, 2011. Bouazizi’s self-immolation caused such an uproar that even Tunisia’s dictator, President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, visited him in the hospital. Bouazizi’s mother, Mannoubia, said, “Mohamed did what he did for the sake of his dignity. He lives on, his name lives on. I am proud of what happened in Tunis, I am proud that he is known throughout the Arab World.” (Abouzeid, 2011) Bouazizi’s self-immolation had such a huge impact on Tunisia that Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia on January 14.
Freedom of expression is an inalienable human right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression defines the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, association, and the corollary right to receive information. Human rights and intellectual independence; the two are inseparably linked. Freedom of opinion and determining what you want to read is not
purest form of freedom of speech and as Americans it is our single most powerful
The Bill of Rights has gained existence since December 15, 1791. Being supported mainly by anti-federalists, the Bill of Rights upheld what was needed to protect individual liberty. From the ratification we have our first ten amendments. The most important and used today is the first amendment. The amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting… petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This amendment is very powerful but cannot be overly abused. Over time the freedom of speech has been constricted. There are many court cases that display the limitation of free speech. Environmental factors and certain materials are not covered in free speech. To understand our rights and know how and when our rights are limited, we must
Freedom of speech cannot be considered an absolute freedom, and even society and the legal system recognize the boundaries or general situations where the speech should not be protected. Along with rights comes civil responsib...
Freedom of speech has been the core principle we have fought long and hard for centuries to achieve. It is the fundamental reason why the founders seperated from England and started their own colonies on the idea of becoming free. In recent times the idea of freedom of speech has been put into question as there has been incidents for years of racism, religious differences and discriminatory abuse. What comes into question is what exactly is your freedom of speech rights and what should be and should not be said in the public eye. The problems that we see arising in today’s society is discrimination and abuse against one another for opposing views and what exactly should your freedom of speech rights entail to as many hate crimes have occurred
Freedom of speech includes freedom to freely express one’s views and opinions and freedom to seek and receive information. Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution, secures every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression. Article 19 of UDHR provides for freedom of opinion and expression. Similar provision has been provided in Article 19 (2) of ICCPR. Article 19(2) of the Constitution imposes restriction on freedom of speech and expression in India. It authorizes state to make any law which imposes reasonable restriction on the exercise of this right in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of the country, security of state, friendly relations with other states, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an