CRASH COURSE ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH

(Crash Course Video)

Today I watched a crash course video on free speech. I often use Crash Course to give me a foundation of/basic understanding of a topic before I take notes on the topic so that I have a framework of information in my head before I delve into more complex topics. The first amendment was established so that the people had a right to stand up against the government and speak their minds. The strongest protection of freedom of speech is political speech because it maintains this necessity. People are able to both criticize and praise governments, at their own directive. In fact, political speech is given a “preferred position." According to the video, this means that “any law or regulation or executive act that limits political speech is almost always struck down by courts. “ This precedent essentially means that if the Supreme Court is ruling on a case that will affect the entire country, they are unlikely to limit free speech in a political sense because then it would set a precedent for further limiting political speech in the future. Brandenburg v Ohio set this precedent. Here is a case law video explaining the case: Case Law Video.

Another branch of freedom of speech that is protected is symbolic speech. For example, someone burning a political flag is protected by freedom of speech, though it is offensive to many. Not all speech is free though, and it can be limited by certain environments, like school! Schools have frequently banned obscene shirts or clothing because while they may express a free thought, they are not allowed within the walls of the school. There is more information about these distinctions here:Freedom Forum.

Many people often debate about whether or not the country should limit free speech, particularly surrounding hate speech and other controversial topics, but I believe that that is a slippery slope to go down. I believe in the unequivocal right to speak. I do not want that sanctioned or taken away. I think that freedom of speech is the most important right that we have been given, it is a privilege that is not experienced by billions of people in the world. It is something that Americans take for granted every single day. Without freedom of speech, I would not be able to have this blog and post my thoughts. I would not be able to re-post political images on social media or rant on Facebook! I treasure my right to speak.