The Pros And Cons Of Free Speech - 1328 Words

Free speech is important. It enables humans to openly express any thoughts, opinions, or ideas one may have without the risk of government oppression or censorship. Social media act as platforms that promote free speech, as social media allow any person’s thoughts, opinions, or ideas to be shared with the world at the simple click of an â€Å"enter† key. However, there do exist limitations to free speech when threats or hate speech become involved. In these instances, ramifications and legal actions can be taken as a means of combating verbal threats and hateful statements. With this in mind, the Elonis v. United States sase is of particular notoriety due to its exemplification of both the role in which social media play in free speech, as well†¦show more content†¦These threatening posts resulted in the Elonis v. Untied States case, wherein Elonis was ultimately convicted of four of the five counts of violating 18 U.S.C.  § 875(c), despite Elonis’ ple a for the court to dismiss the charges under the claim that his threats were not â€Å"true threats† (Facts and Case Summary - Elonis v. U.S., 2015). There are a plethora of relevant ethical theories that can be applied to the Elonis case. Specifically, these include Mill’s ethical theories of liberty, the public and private spheres, and free speech. In an overarching conception of free speech, Mill perceives individual liberty as intertwined with free speech; as something that ought only be restricted if an individual’s action or speech is liable to harm others â€Å"or violates the good manners required in a public place† (Horner, 2015, p. 67). This theory can be applied to the Elonis case, wherein Elonis’ speech was both liable to harm others and violated the good manners of Facebook, arguably a public place as a social media platform. This connects to Mill’s conceptions and theories of the public and private spheres, as well, wherein the public sphere is a place restrictions on individual liberty have a right to be put in place. On the other hand, the private sphere allows no room for interference from the state or governments on individual liberty (Horner, 2015). These theories pertain to the Elonis case inShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Free Speech959 Words   |  4 PagesFree speech has been becoming increasingly more controversial and students are becoming more worried about the restriction on speech. Just recently, in September of 2017 at the University of California Berkeley, well known conservative speakers such as Ben Shapiro, Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter, and Steve Bannon were supposed to come visit the campus and speak. However, many students and faculty implored Chancellor Carol Christ to revoke the conservative speakers’ invitation. Current discussionsRead MoreImportance Of Censorship In Society1406 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent opinions on it, but when used properly, censorship absolut ely has a place in society. Censorship, at it’s core, has been around for a few hundred years, dating back to the 1700’s. Censorship can be confusing but the First Amendment gives us free speech. This Amendment basically defines the United States as a nation (Bishop Ke). â€Å"Despite the First Amendment, the federal government has also censored the press at various points in United States history, especially during war time.† (usagu.com) DatingRead MoreThe Right Block Free Speech997 Words   |  4 Pagesprotect freedom of speech not to block or regulate it. The state has a role to protect liberties of all individuals not to define what should and should not be tolerated. Just as it is not the job of the state to institute policy on religion, it is not the states’ responsibility to regulate what freedoms of speech individual may and may not express. A classic debate in the realm of free speech, and the states right block free speech is where the line is drawn between free speech and offense. In anRead MoreEssay about Cyber Bullying and Hate Speech1161 Words   |  5 Pages Free speech is both a universal and national liberty. The United Nations and the United States of America believe that free speech is something that humans should be allowed to exercise. However, each respective group has their own limitations. These limitation, although broad, protect against free speech being taken too far. Like any liberty or privilege there must be a line in the sand to keep extremists from aggressively using and abusing this right. The United Nations formed The UniversalRead MoreHistory Of The Preval Of Prayer In Public Education1538 Words   |  7 Pagesschools religion-free zones and that the law is so murky that school officials cannot know what is legally permissible (American Civil Liberties Union, 2016, p 1). While reviewing the statistical analysis which illustrates Americas public schools it reveals that the removal of prayer from our nations schools since June 25, 1962, has violated 39 million students the freedom of choice to acknowledge a higher powe r. While exploring history, it reaffirms the thoughts of John F. Kennedy speech which includesRead MoreCensorship in the US Essay1136 Words   |  5 Pagesto be unfit for the public. Censorship is only used to a certain extent in the United States of America, but it is much more widespread in other parts of the world. Many people argue that the First Amendment to the constitution provides freedom of speech. Therefore, fining television stations for not censoring explicit materials could be a violation First Amendment rights (Ruschmann). Most people agree that the reason that the United States survives as a democracy is because of the freedoms providedRead MoreCensorship And Censorship Of The Internet985 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1734, John Zenger, a local printer was jailed due to accusations of seditious libel by publishing material against the crooked Governor of New York. Zenger s defense attorney Andrew Hamilton gave his famous speech, in which he said, nature and the laws of o ur country have given us a right to liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power (in these parts of the world at least) by speaking and writing truth.. This influenced freedom of the press rights and embracing those rights to theRead MoreWhat Does A Vegetarian Diet?1591 Words   |  7 Pagesvegetarians out there and i think its great theyre standing up for what they believe in, but im not reciting this speech to bully meateaters. No, i do not hate you for eating meat, i just hope you all listen closely because i have some important points to make today and i hope no one is offended. I will be discussing the horrific conditions of slaughterhouses, what exactly you are eating, pros and cons of going vegetarian, and commonly asked questions. What goes on inside a slaughterhouse is something theRead MoreShould English Be the Official Language of the Us843 Words   |  4 Pagesidentify pros and cons of requiring English as the language of choice for the U.S. Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior a technique for expressing ideas effectively (as in speech) or language communication. Pros and Cons of English as the Official Language The benefits of having the English language will be unity in a common language creating more effective communication of processes. The cons couldRead MoreApa Syphilis650 Words   |  3 PagesNames - Pros: Jasmine, Naloni Names – Cons: Da’Shawn, Brea Date: 11/17/15 Course: Speech Eng 112-22 General Purpose: To Pursuade Specific Purpose: To motivate those who consume conventional produce to choose organic food ------------------------------------------------- Food or Fungus: Conventional vs Organic 1. Introduction- Have you ever asked yourself, how healthy your food really is? We will provide information on the subject for you. With spending money on foods, which