an essay on freedom of speech

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• School Education /

Essay on Freedom of Speech in English for Students

• Updated on  
• June 1, 2024

Article 19 of the Indian Constitution grants freedom of speech and expression to every citizen. This freedom guarantees us to express our thoughts, and opinions and share experiences. This freedom is not only related to an individual but to the media, political parties, and government also. As a student, you must know all about your fundamental rights and how to exercise them. Today, we will discuss an essay on freedom of speech and how it can be exercised.

Short Essay on Freedom of Speech

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Long Essay on Freedom of Speech

Also Read: Essay on Freedom in 100, 200 and 300 Words

A.1 Freedom of speech is one of the constitutional rights of our democracy. The freedom of speech states, “All citizens shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression.”

A.2 The concept of freedom of speech goes back to ancient times when many of our writers and artists displayed the freedom of their opinions and viewpoints through their writings or artworks.

A.3 Right to Speech faces several challenges in the modern world. One of the challenges is the misuse of this freedom. People associate this right with the freedom to say anything that comes to their mind. This gives rise to hate speech and the spreading of misinformation. The power of hate speech cannot be underestimated since it can instigate violence and undermine public trust.

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Bhumika Sharma

A writer with a fresh perspective on thoughts, I have an year of experience in writing the blogs on various topics. Here, you will find my blogs for the students and education purpose.

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The Power of Free Speech Essay

Thesis statement, introduction, governments as protectors of social stability, justifying the limitation of free speech, free speech as a powerful tool for change, justifying the need for free speech, not all aspects of free speech are socially beneficial, works cited.

While free speech can help in creating a progressive society uncontrolled free speech acts as a destructive force that can incite hate, anger and violence which as a result requires it to be limited to certain justifiable boundaries.

The concept of the Freedom of Speech is attributed to being a fundamental human right wherein people are given the ability to exchange ideas, information or concepts without fear of censorship or interference.

In fact, it is a first Amendment right within the U.S. which prevents the government from establishing laws that infringe upon an individual’s inherent right to free speech and peaceful petition.

It must be noted though that despite the Freedom of Speech being a first Amendment right, subsequent amendments to the constitution as well as various historical acts such as the Sedition Act of 1798 and the Espionage Act of 1917 have as a result limited the application of the Freedom of Speech to certain boundaries (Peck, 1).

The reason behind this is rather simple, as a fundamental human right available to a human being from birth the Freedom of Speech can, and most often is, abused in order to pursue a personal or group goal.

What must be understood is that governments are protectors of their citizens in that their main purpose is to ensure the continued existence of the country and the stability of society.

It is due to this role that governments play that in order to ensure social stability various laws and acts are usually implemented which control certain freedoms in order to ensure continued peace and stability.

This explains why certain acts created to limit the Freedom of Speech have been imposed in various cases in U.S. history due to the need to limit the possible destabilizing effects that the Freedom of Speech can bring on a case to case basis.

Based on this it can be said that while free speech can help in creating a progressive society uncontrolled free speech acts as a destructive force that can incite hate, anger and violence which as a result requires it to be limited to certain justifiable boundaries.

As mentioned earlier, free speech can either act as a great instrument for progressive social change or violent social consequences depending on its use. Limitations to free speech should thus be created in terms of their intended social consequences and be justifiable rather than a generalized limitation on certain topics.

For example the protest of the Westboro Baptist church members at the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Mathew Synder should have been prevented due to the intended social consequence of creating discrimination against homosexual groups (Hines, 1).

The purpose of such a protest was obviously to continue to propagate the idea of hate and bias against the homosexual population and as such can be considered an abuse of an inherent right.

Similarly the portrayal of President Obama as a chimpanzee being shot in a recently published newspaper article is equally an abuse of rights since it directly connects to the various events suffered by the African American people that constitute racial prejudice and discrimination (Delonas, 1).

What must be understood is that while there are various critics who state that the right to free speech should be defended the fact remains that its utilization as a platform for the spread of chaotic and hateful ideas prevents it from becoming a right that doesn’t need to be limited.

Allowing the uncontrolled spread of socially damaging ideas and causes not only creates societal destabilization as seen in the various cases in the Middle East but incites various groups to spread hate filled messages which do not have any positive effect on society.

What must be understood is that speech is a powerful tool for change; it can start profound social and political changes within a nation or even society as a whole which at times is detrimental towards prospective goals set by governments.

For example, the recent revolution in Egypt which toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak was itself caused by the power of speech inciting the masses towards revolution (Scaliger, 15).

In fact the current changes happening in the Middle East today are a direct result of the ideas carried by the power speech from country to country resulting in revolutions which have toppled numerous long time government regimes.

The power of speech has also been known to exact social change wherein the “Green Movement” has started changes in behaviors attributed towards greater awareness for environmental problems, environmental care and the need to use methods of resource conservation.

From this it can be seen that the power of speech is truly profound however based on the example of Egypt and the Middle East it can be a cause for concern for various governments since uncontrolled free speech can and will result in actions which may disrupt various plans that the government has set into motion.

The fact is the Freedom of Speech, in its ideal form, acts as an integral component in a check and balances system that ensures that the government acts for the benefit of the public.

By ensuring that important public issues such as war, economic rights and other societal issues are allowed to be discussed openly and without censorship this in effect guides public opinion either for or against particular government mandates or actions.

This limits the ability of the government to act on various whims and interests since it must always take public opinion into consideration before it accomplishes certain actions. This in effect creates a balanced system wherein the government continues to be accountable to the people through the use of the Freedom of Speech.

For example, legislation in the U.S. preventing various offshore drilling activities was actually brought about through the “Green Movement” and mass public opinion against the possible environmental damage it would cause.

What must be understood though is that certain limitations must be put into effect on particular aspects of the Freedom of Speech since not all activities created through it can be deemed as socially beneficial.

Due to its role as a poretector of societal stability the government has the responsibility to ensure that elements which destabilize society are limited in order to ensure the propagation of social harmony.

For example, the case of the arrest of the Ku Klux Kan leader in the Brandenburg v. Ohio case is a clear example of the government performing its role as a social protector by limiting actions (racial hatred) that creates strife and destabilization in society (Peck, 1).

It is based on cases such as this that certain justifiable limitations on the Freedom of Speech can be implemented so long as they are meant to prevent the spread of socially destabilizing messages of hatred, bias and anger.

Based on the facts presented it can be seen that the Freedom of Speech is an essential concept to society since it acts as a platform of not only the free exchange of information, ideas and concepts but also as an integral part of a checks and balances system between society and the government.

What must be understood though is that Freedom of Speech can easily be abused in order to spread messages detrimental towards continued societal harmony.

It is due to this that the government, acting as a protector of societal stability, needs to impose certain justifiable limitations on the utilization of the Freedom of Speech in order to ensure that any action incited by free speech does not damage the current peaceful societal structure we enjoy today.

Delonas, Sean.“ New York Post cartoon.” blogs.timeslive.co.za . Web.

Hines, Debbie.“ Free Speech is Superior to a Family’s Right to Privacy ”. Opednews. Web.

Peck, Robert.“ The First Amendment & Advocacy of Violence.” firstamendmentcenter.com . Web.

Scaliger, Charles. “EGYPT’S PRESENT PATH.” New American. 27.7 (2011): 15. MasterFILE Complete . EBSCO. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2019, March 21). The Power of Free Speech. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-power-of-free-speech/

"The Power of Free Speech." IvyPanda , 21 Mar. 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/the-power-of-free-speech/.

IvyPanda . (2019) 'The Power of Free Speech'. 21 March.

IvyPanda . 2019. "The Power of Free Speech." March 21, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-power-of-free-speech/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Power of Free Speech." March 21, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-power-of-free-speech/.

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Student Opinion

Why Is Freedom of Speech an Important Right? When, if Ever, Can It Be Limited?

By Michael Gonchar

• Sept. 12, 2018

This extended Student Opinion question and a related lesson plan were created in partnership with the National Constitution Center in advance of Constitution Day on Sept. 17. For information about a cross-classroom “Constitutional Exchange,” see The Lauder Project .

One of the founding principles of the United States that Americans cherish is the right to freedom of speech. Enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, freedom of speech grants all Americans the liberty to criticize the government and speak their minds without fear of being censored or persecuted.

Even though the concept of freedom of speech on its face seems quite simple, in reality there are complex lines that can be drawn around what kinds of speech are protected and in what setting.

The Supreme Court declared in the case Schenck v. United States in 1919 that individuals are not entitled to speech that presents a “clear and present danger” to society. For example, a person cannot falsely yell “fire” in a crowded theater because that speech doesn’t contribute to the range of ideas being discussed in society, yet the risk of someone getting injured is high. On the other hand, in Brandenburg v. Ohio in 1969, the court declared that even inflammatory speech, such as racist language by a leader of the Ku Klux Klan, should generally be protected unless it is likely to cause imminent violence.

While the text and principle of the First Amendment have stayed the same, the court’s interpretation has indeed changed over time . Judges, lawmakers and scholars continue to struggle with balancing strong speech protections with the necessity of maintaining a peaceful society.

What do you think? Why is the freedom of speech an important right? Why might it be important to protect even unpopular or hurtful speech? And yet, when might the government draw reasonable limits on speech, and why?

Before answering this question, read the full text of the amendment. What does it say about speech?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Next, read these excerpts from three recent articles about free speech cases that might affect your life:

In a September 2017 article, “ High Schools Threaten to Punish Students Who Kneel During Anthem ,” Christine Hauser writes:

The controversy over kneeling in protest of racial injustice moved beyond the world of professional sports this week, when a number of schools told students they were expected to stand during the national anthem. On Long Island, the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which runs a private Catholic school system, said students at its three high schools could face “serious disciplinary action” if they knelt during the anthem before sporting events.

In a June 2018 article, “ Colleges Grapple With Where — or Whether — to Draw the Line on Free Speech ,” Alina Tugend writes:

It has happened across the country, at small private colleges and large public universities: an invited guest is heckled or shouted down or disinvited because of opposing political views. And the incident is followed by a competing chorus of accusations about the rights of free speech versus the need to feel safe and welcome. It’s something those in higher education have grappled with for decades. But after the 2016 presidential election and the increasing polarization of the country, the issue has taken on a new resonance.

In another June 2018 article, “ Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Barring Political Apparel at Polling Places ,” Adam Liptak writes:

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a Minnesota law that prohibits voters from wearing T-shirts, hats and buttons expressing political views at polling places. In a cautious 7-to-2 decision, the court acknowledged the value of decorum and solemn deliberation as voters prepare to cast their ballots. But Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that Minnesota’s law was not “capable of reasoned application.”

Students, read at least one of the above articles in its entirety, then tell us:

— Why is the freedom of speech an important right? Why do you think it’s worth protecting?

— What is the value in protecting unpopular speech?

— The Supreme Court has determined that certain types of speech, such as fighting words, violent threats and misleading advertising, are of only “low” First Amendment value because they don’t contribute to a public discussion of ideas, and are therefore not protected. Even though the text of the First Amendment does not make any distinction between “low” and “high” value speech, do you think the court is correct in ruling that some categories of speech are not worth protecting? What types of speech would you consider to be “low” value? What types of speech are “high” value, in your opinion?

— What do you think about the free speech issues raised in the three articles above? For example:

• Should students be allowed to kneel during the national anthem? Why? • Should colleges be allowed to forbid controversial or “offensive” guests from speaking on campus? Why? • Should individuals be able to wear overtly political T-shirts or hats to the polling booth? Why?

— When might the government draw reasonable limits to the freedom of speech, and why?

— We now want to ask you an important constitutional question: When does the First Amendment allow the government to limit speech? We want to hear what you think. But to clarify, we’re not asking for your opinion about policy. In other words, we’re not asking whether a certain type of speech, like flag burning or hate speech, should be protected or prohibited. Instead, we’re asking you to interpret the Constitution: Does the First Amendment protect that speech?

Do your best to base your interpretation on the text of the amendment itself and your knowledge of how it can be understood. You may want to consult this essay in the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution to learn more about how scholars and judges have interpreted the First Amendment, but rest assured, you don’t have to be a Supreme Court justice to have an opinion on this matter, and even the justices themselves often disagree.

— When you interpret the First Amendment, what do you think it has to say about the free speech issues raised in the three articles. For example:

• Does the First Amendment protect the right of students at government-run schools (public schools) to protest? What about students who attend private schools? • Does the First Amendment allow private colleges to prohibit certain controversial speakers? What about government-run colleges (public colleges)? • Finally, does the First Amendment protect voters’ right to wear whatever they want to the polling booth?

Are any of your answers different from your answers above, when you answered the three “should” questions?

— When scholars, judges and lawmakers try to balance strong speech protections with the goal of maintaining a peaceful society, what ideas or principles do you think are most important for them to keep in mind? Explain.

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.