Freedom Of Speech In The United States

Freedom of speech is an essential pillar that the United States is built on. It has been a key factor in historical events. The inhibiting of free speech has been a major issue in the history of all time. Whether it be from the government directly banning free thoughts or people rioting because someone has a differing opinion from themselves it is all the same. The stopping of the spread of ideas of any kind is criminal in the United States but it continues to be a problem today. As freedom of speech is not only the right to say what is wanted, it is also the freedom to think how is wanted. This is a key part of any free thinking individual (Biddle). Freedom of speech overall is accepted widely but there are still instances in which it is

Most well known ancient example happened with the Greek democracy in Athens. Legal reformer, Solon, changed the current laws of Athens to grant citizens more political freedom including the right to express opinion freely. Lower classes in ancient Greece culture were once considered not worth listening to. By allowing free speech, it decreased conflict greatly and allowed the civilization to develop. The philosophers who were responsible for the idea of free speech were considered revolutionaries of their time. The idea was so foreign that just the idea of it created a massive respect for the philosophers. Freedom of speech further developed in England in the 1600’s. The Petition of Right prevented English dignitaries from jailing citizens for expressing opposing opinions.The Bill of Rights was created in 1780’s in early America. Freedom of speech has become a focal point in modern American society. It separates America from a multitude of other countries throughout the world. According to a study done in 2010, 71% of Americans support the legal ability to say anything without the government interfering (“Freedom of Speech”). This shows how highly the American people hold the right to free speech. But what does freedom of really mean? There is a clear and concise textbook

“To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.” Frederick Douglass was speaking on abolishing slavery in Boston when his meeting was broken up by a group of “gentleman” who claim to follow the law. They claimed since slavery was still legal they could not talk about abolishing it. Douglass had the counter argument that by claiming to be upholding one law, they “trampled under foot the law of free speech and the protection of public meetings”. This argument is very relevant in today's society as that very situation happens very often. Douglass was one of many influential leaders who used their right to free speech to move mountains. He is a prime example on how if freedom of speech is limited, history could have been immensely different. A key point made by Douglass is that by stopping someone from speaking about a controversial topic, more laws are being broken by the person impeding then by the person speaking (Douglass). This leads directly into real world modern examples happening in the United