Freedom Of Speech By John Locke Essay - 1325 Words

Freedom of speech is the right given to all United States citizens to express their opinions openly, without having to fear legal punishment. However, the idea of this freedom goes back far before the United States was even declared an independent country. In the 16th century, European thinkers such as John Locke began to discuss freedom of speech as a basic human right, a necessity for a free and thriving society and a well governed country. In the United States, freedom of speech is split into three categories: fully protected, limited protected, and unprotected speech. Freedom of speech does not exactly mean that one can or do whatever they want at all times, which is why there are these several categories that specify what is protected by the First Amendment, and what is not. A 1969 court decision Tinker vs. Des Moines is a great example of what qualifies as protected speech. On the other side, Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire in 1942 showed that the Supreme Court has recognized several limited exceptions to First Amendment protection. Freedom of Speech is so very important because if people cannot express themselves, then they can never reach and realize their full potential. Therefore, in my opinion, it is simply immoral to rob people of their right to s ay what they want to say. Freedom of speech is a part of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which was adopted in 1791, and states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech ....†Show MoreRelatedConflicting Visions of Freedom in John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty and John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government1275 Words   |  6 PagesJohn Stuart Mill’s On Liberty and John Locke’s The Second Treatise of Government are influential literary works while which outlining the theoretical framework of each thinkers optimal state propose two conflicting visions of the very essence of man and his freedom. Locke and Mill have completely different views when it comes to how much freedom man should have in political society because they have obtained different views about man’s potential of inheriting pure or evil behavior. In chapter twoRead MoreThe Enlightenment Ideas Of The American Revolution1423 Words   |  6 PagesEnglish soldiers. 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