So much for freedom of speech?

Question

So I guess freedom of speech doesnt mean anything anymore? As long as enough people disagree with you than what you say is wrong.What has happened to this country? Do you think our founding fathers would agree with what is going on today? Yes maybe alot has changed in 230 years , but man you cant say one thing or walk two steps without offending someome or being censored.

Answer 1

That freedom just applies to the government  - how has the government prevented you from voicing your opinion?

Answer 2

Freedom of speech is anything said without any censorship and it is not allowed these days.

Answer 3

You should be able to say whatever you want as long as what you say does not in some way cause anybody else actual physical harm.  As in inciting a riot, or shouting "fire" in a crowd.  So the Supreme Court has ruled.

But you have to be aware of the fact that along with your freedom of speech, comes the fact that nobody may want to listen to you or you may be ignored altogether.

The Founding Fathers wrote the freedom of speech into the first amendment to protect the right of the people to criticize the government without fear of government reprisal, as they had just gained their independence from a government that did just that to dissenters.

Answer 4

What do you mean so much for freedom of speech?  It's alive and well, you can say and believe what you want.

Freedom of speech never guaranteed you an audience, nor did it guarantee you a right for your speech to be perceived a certain way.  If you are unhappy with the results you've obtained from freedom of speech, perhaps you should look into amending your speech.

Answer 5

Freedom of speech exists today but there are some restrictions.  What you say about others must be the truth or you violate other laws that protect individuals from slander and libel.  As in other answers in this question sites that offer a means to post comments have the right to remove anything they feel is offensive or inappropriate with their guidelines.  All sites have rules as to what is allowed.  This by no means results in a lack of free speech.

We as individuals have a right to free speech but it is not required for others to listen to what we have to say.  Sometimes our comments can be found on Internet sites where we make comments about news events or articles.  

When we personally have a site we can instill requirements on what will be allowed or what content will be included.  I have a web site and it caters primarily to writers but has information for all visitors.  The information, links, articles and books posted are all considered to be family friendly sources of information.

Freedom of speech is an important right we have and we should not abuse it by violating other laws in place to protect others rights.  It is not a requirement for any site to publish our comments on anything or to pay attention to what we have to say.  This does not mean that we should ignore our right to exercise free speech.  It does exist and I am thankful that it does.  The influx of the Internet now provides more sources to exercise our free speech more than ever.  Through the Internet you can find many sites which allow comments to be made.  It is our right to exercise our free speech by injecting our opinion on issues of the day.  Just becasue a site does not agree with what you have to say it does not diminsh the right to say it.

Our choices opportunities for exercising free speech are greater today than they ever have been.  Let us use the resources we now have wisely and avoid violating other laws so that our rights and the rights of others are not violated.

Answer 6

I once spent a night in jail and had to pay a $120 fine for using the "F" word in public. Myrtle Beach, SC.

Answer 7

Freedom of speech doesn't mean that what you say is right just becuase you say it. If your wrong everyone has the same right to speak up and prove it.

And just becuase you have freedom of speech doesn't mean you have the freedom to be heard.

Answer 8

That is so true, freedom of speech is now limited, and that is not what our founding fathers meant, its all the government's fault.

Answer 9

If you are using THIS forum as a guage of freedom of speech, don't bother.

Yahoo is not a branch of the state (town, state or federal governments).  It has no obligations wrt freedom of speech.

Answer 10

The First Amendment to the Constitution reads "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."

Censorship means official gov't censorship, like the FBI shutting down a media outlet for disagreeable/anti gov't content.  This right in no way means that private, non-gov't organizations may not impose their own censorship within their organization, for example, Yahoo removing a question b/c it was offensive to someone.

Also, the Supreme Court has rulled that this right is not absolute.

However, I do think it's true that "political correctness" has pushed the issue to the point that people will shut up up or shout you down if you say something that might be construed as "offensive".  

However people do have the right to shout you down, and neither the gov't, nor anyone else is obligated to give you a platform from which you can be heard.

Our founding fathers would do just what you see around you-find people sympathetic to your point of view, who have the means to spread that point of view (used to be a printing press, now it's TV, radio, Movies, the web, etc) & use that means as well as you are able.

Answer 11

You always have the right to say whatever you want. But others rights will be protected- when this is violated there is censorship. I really get irritated when people say that freedom of speech is dead in the US. You are in the US, right? Because if you aren't sorry, and if you are- go to Pakistan or China or most any other country, and tell us the differences between the freedom of speech in the two counrties.

Answer 12

Freedom of speech does not imply that people will agree with you or support you for what you've said.  It only implies that the government will not put up barriers to your self-expression.

Answer 13

Nope.  There is plenty of freedom of speech.  Censorship doesn't mean disagreement or disapproval.  There may be plenty of current situations that I believe our Founding Fathers would disapprove of, but I think they would very much approve of the freedom of speech we enjoy these days.

If you are complaining about something you posted on this or any other web site being taken down, then you need to think a little more about what freedom of speech means.  This website is the property of an entity -- yahoo has freedom of speech.  That means yahoo can decide what they will allow to be posted.  That IS freedom of speech.

If you own a website, you can decide what you will allow to be posted - that is YOUR freedom of speech.

Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can spray graffiti all over your neighbor's house.

Answer 14

didnt you ask this question yesturday.

Answer 15

Yes freedom of speech is being destroyed. Mostly by the left. They pass laws trying to ban political and religious speech that don't agree with them. They call those who disagree with them stupid, arrogant, and close-mined when they are really the ones with the closed mind because they can't accept the fact that some people disagree with them and have the right to voice there opinions just as everyone does, whether on the left or right.

Answer 16

HUH? If there was no freedom of speech, how are you posting this question?

Answer 17

in freedom one should limit ones self

Answer 18

The first 3 answers are pretty good. The founders meant for this freedom to apply to political speech and only the government can violate your freedom of speech.

I think what you might be thinking of is politically correct speech. When the left hears some thing they don't like they try to shut up the speaker. e.g. Ann Coulter and the Minute Men at Columbia U. in NYC among others. If the left is not "given" a forum to speak then they claim censorship.

Answer 19

By someone disagreeing with you not only ISN'T censorship, it is exactly free speech.  That's why that right exists, so we have the ability to disagree with one another without fear of government punishment.  That doesn't necessarily apply to anything private.  If it's someone else's domain, what right do I have to go in there and do something they disapprove of. What if I came into your house by your kids and started cursing at them?  You'd probably tell me to stop or I couldn't stay because you didn't approve with my words.  It's the same thing here.  Just because you can't be punished by the government for saying something doesn't mean you can't be held accountable in other arenas.

Answer 20

Maybe you should take your case to court or read the entire amendment because there might be something you missed also Freedom of Speech should only be limited if it interferes with the rights of others and I don't think that people have the right not to be offended so if you feel tat your rights are being violated take your case to court.

Answer 21

Being told that you are wrong isn't censorship.  Get over it.

Answer 22

Somewhere along the line people decided they had a right not to be offended.Pandering politicians agreed with them and put it in statute.The trouble is who decides what's offensive and what should be done about it.Hate speech,some sexual harassment laws.All attacks on free speech sanctioned by the Government.I'm offended by people who never learned about sticks and stones.