Courageous Inquiry for Freedom of Speech, Essay Example

Citizens of the United States have many freedoms that they often take for granted.  According to the First Amendment, United States citizens are able to speak their minds without fear of retribution.  However, this freedom is being eroded on a daily basis.  Citizens are now in danger of being penalized, sued, and even arrested for speech that others find offensive.  While speaking with courtesy and compassion should always be encouraged, overemphasizing political correctness to the point where no one is allowed an opinion is downright fascism.  The purpose of this paper is to explore free speech in the United States and to establish where political correctness is appropriate and where it is invasive and counter-productive.

The right to speak to communicate thoughts, opinions, and feelings is a fundamental right of United States citizens.  Citizens have the ability to protest injustices against schools, employers, and even the government.  Many other countries do not provide this right to citizens.  For example, in Austria, it is illegal to state that the Holocaust never occurred.  While psychiatric care may be recommended for a Holocaust denier in the United States, punishment in prison is not likely to result.  Simply making an ignorant statement should not be enough to land a person in jail.  As long as people are not harassing or causing physical harm, free speech, however vulgar and racist is protected by the Constitution.  And even harassment in some forms is protected.  When the actor and comedian, Michael Richards responded to hecklers with a tirade of racist comments, he was not arrested.  He may have been publicly shamed for his meltdown, but legally he was protected.

The right to free speech is especially under fire on college campuses.  Many college campuses are following a trend where they have a “free speech zone,” where faculty and students are offered a small space where they are allowed to speak their minds without risking offending someone.  Professors must now monitor “trigger words,” or risk getting reported by students.  College is supposed to be a higher education that challenges students to expand themselves on both an academic and a personal level.  College is not a place for students to be baby-sat.

Political correctness has its place.  Deliberately calling someone a derogatory name based on their race, gender, religion, or any other factor is harassment and should not be tolerated.  Obscene speech is not protected under the First Amendment and is also considered unacceptable behavior.  Harassment can directly impact another human life and the circumstances where obscenity is appropriate are very few.

Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from speech.  While people should not have to worry about hate speech and harassment, the Constitution protects the right to openly communicate.  Free speech is important because it protects people from potentially harmful corporations, schools, employers, and even the government.  Even though Tierney may be unlikely in the United States, it should still be guarded against.  Honoring the First Amendment is a key component in preventing this disaster.