CarolMarin

2ndPeriod
SUM:Shouldfreedomofexpressionbelimitedincertaincases?
AccordingtotheUnitedStatesConstitutionandtheBillofRights,theFirstAmendment
includestherighttofreedomofreligion,assembly,press,petition,andthefreedomofspeech.
ThesefreedomsarecitizensnaturalrightsasAmericans.Accordingtosome,however,some
freedomsmustberestrictedinordertokeepafreecountrypeaceful.
Accordingtolawmakersandthegovernment,somespeechistoberestricted.The
SupremeCourtholdsthatallspeechisfreeandprotectedunlessitfallsintofournarrow
categories:libel,obscenity,fightingwords,andcommercialspeech.
Libel,thewrittendefamationthatfalselyattacksapersonsnameandreputation,and
slander,spokendefamation,arebothextremelyunprotectedformsofspeech.Accordingtothe
SupremeCourtcase
NewYorkTimesv.Sullivan,
anymaliciouswordsusedtoattackaperson
falselyarenotprotectedbytheFirstAmendment.Thisisarightfulrestrictionofspeechthatis
incorporatedintotheAmericanlegalsystem.
Obscenitywasdefinedinthelandmarkcase
Millerv.California
assomethingthat
appealstoaninterestinsex,offensive,andlacksseriousliterary,artistic,political,orscientific
value.Aswellasthis,the
Bethelv.Fraser
caseestablishedthatschoolsmaysuspendstudents
formakingaspeechfullofsexualinnuendos.Thisrestrictiononfreespeechpreventsoffensive
materialandspeechfromoccurring,preventingproblemsfromarisingbyprohibitingobscene
materialfrombeingpublished.

Fightingwordsarewordsthatinciteanimmediatebreachofpeaceorinflictinjury.Court
caseslike
Schenckv.UnitedStates
and
Brandenburgv.Ohio
establishedaClearandPresent
DangerTest.In
Schenckv.UnitedStates,
itwasdecreedthattheFirstAmendmentguaranteesof
freespeecharentabsolutepublicauthoritiescouldlimitspeechifitwouldinciteviolent
actions.Also,in
Brandenburgv.Ohio,
theSupremeCourtruledthatthegovernmentcould
punishtheadvocacyofillegalactionifitisdirectedtoinciteorproduceimminentlawless
action.Thisrestrictionofspeechprohibitswordsthatinciteviolence,whichcreatesamore
peacefulandsafesociety.
Commercialspeechiswhatgoesintoadvertising.ItisrestrictedbytheFederalTrade
Commission,whodecidewhatkindsofgoodsareadvertisedonradioandtelevisionand
regulatesitscontent.Forexample,someadvertisementisrestrictedtocertaintimesofthedayto
suittheaudience,restrictingmorematurecontenttothenighttime.Thiskindofrestrictionon
speechmaintainspeaceinthepublicandaudiencesofadvertisementsbypreventingany
offensiveinterpretationsofthem.
UnprotectedspeechexistsintheUnitedStates.Lawfulrestrictionsonspeechpreserve
peaceandorderinAmericansociety,whichprovesthatlimitsonfreespeecharenecessaryand
effectiveinAmericangovernmentandsocietytopreventdangerandmalice.
However,somepeoplebelievethatfreespeechshouldnotberestrictedbecausetheyare
naturalrightsthatallAmericanshave.Somethinkthatwhilesomespeechisoffensive,itisa
pricetopayforlivinginafreeanddiversecountry.Noteveryonehasthesameopinion,even
thoughopinionsmayclash,restrictingpeoplesspeechcreatesanobstructedsociety.Offensive
events,suchastheAmericanNaziPartymarchinSkokieandthecreationofasacrilegious

cartoonby
CharlieHebdo
,

whiletheyaredisliked,arelawfulaccordingtotherighttofreedom
ofspeech.Statements,suchasDonaldTrumpspublicexpressionsonmassdeportation("Donald
Trump:FreeSpeechvHateSpeechBBCNews"),claimsagainstArabAmericans,andracist
remarksagainstHispanicnewsanchors("TrumptoAnchorJorgeRamos:'GoBackto
Univision'"),provethatwhileoffensivewordsarerudeandreceivedpoorlybytheAmerican
public,itisarightprotectedbythefreedomofspeechclauseoftheFirstAmendmentintheBill
ofRights.
Inconclusion,freedomofspeechshouldberestrictedwhenitcreatesmaliceandhas
hurtfulintentions.AstheSupremecourthasestablished,speechisunprotectedifitisconsidered
slander/libel,obscene,fightingwords,oroffensivecommercialspeech.Whilefreespeechis
supposedtoremainfreeandunrestrictedinordertopreservefreedom,somespeechshouldbe
limitedtokeepthecountryfrombeingatoddsandtopreventsocialissuesfromarising.

WorksCited

Wang,Joy."TrumptoAnchorJorgeRamos:'GoBacktoUnivision.'"
Msnbc.com
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Digital,
25Aug.2015.Web.10Dec.2015.
<
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trumpanchorjorgeramosgobackunivision
>.

"DonaldTrump:FreeSpeechvHateSpeechBBCNews."
BBCNews
.Web.10Dec.2015.
<
http://www.bbc.com/news/worlduscanada35041402
>.

"InsidetheBattleovertheConfederateFlagCNNPolitics.com."
CNN
.CableNewsNetwork.
Web.
10Dec.2015.
<
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/21/politics/southcarolinaconfederateflagdebate/
>.