Censorship

9 Pages 2272 Words

id point;
however, it would provide an excellent opportunity for them to learn
about their First Amendment rights that guarantees free speech and
freedom of the press.
In his commencement address to Monmouth College graduates,
Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School defended the broad
right to free speech. He stated, "My message to you graduates is to
assert your rights, to use them responsibly and boldly, to oppose
racism, to oppose sexism, to oppose homophobia and bigotry of all
kinds and to do so within the spirit of the First Amendment, not by
creating an exception to it." I agree that one should feel free to
speak openly as long as it does not directly or indirectly lead to the
harm of others.
One of the more controversial issues was the recent 2 Live
Crew incident involving obscenity in rap music. Their record, "As
Nasty as They Wanna Be," was ruled obscene in federal court. They
were acquitted of the charges and quickly became a free speech martyr.
Although many stores pulled the album, over two million copies sold
as a result of the incident. I feel that in this case the principles
of free speech have been abused because young children can purchase
and listen to this obscene music.
The American flag, symbol of our country's history and
patriotism, has also become a topic of controversy. The controversy
was over the right to burn the flag without punishment. Supreme Court
Justice William Brennan offered the response that "if there is a
bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the
Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because
society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." Burning the
flag is considered a form of symbolic speech and therefore is
protected under the First Amendment. As in the 2 Live Crew case, I
feel that we are protecting the wrong people in this ca...