Freedom of Speech blog

Freedom of Speech is one of the fundamental virtues of the American Constitution as well as the American way of life. In this country we are all free to say what we want (as long as it does not threaten or offend anyone) and express our true beliefs. This ability and freedom to speak our minds and share our ideals and opinions has been both a good and bad thing among American history. It has opened the door and opened people’s eyes to the ideas of equality and sharing new thoughts and opinions. It has also been used as a mask by some people to spread hate and share unjust and biased views. This has made the idea of freedom of speech one of the one of the most controversial parts of American society and it often raises the issue of what can and cannot be said, and on a deeper level, what is censorship?
The idea of what can and cannot be said in American society appears to trace its roots back to another issue regarding the Constitution and that is what does it mean to be free and have freedoms? There is a certain sense of responsibility that comes along with freedom and how we use it and define it. While the idea of freedom of speech may seem simple and too many people means just what it says, we have to be mindful that not everyone will agree with what we say and that some of what people say can be pretty threatening and offensive. While it is true that not all people will agree with what each other says, we still have to be careful that what we say is not truly intended to be hurtful or offensive. Many times in American society we see and hear people who believe that they can say offensive, racist words and hide behind the idea of freedom of speech. This is just an example of people who do not understand the idea of the responsibility that goes along with certain freedoms. This freedom of speech is also another controversial part of the Constitution that the forefathers seem to have left open to much debate. Maybe it was because the place and time they lived in was so different? Were there as many outspoken people or did people in that time seem to keep to themselves? It is hard to tell and this amendment further falls in with another controversial amendment, the right to bear arms. Both are somewhat vague and are constantly pushed as to what they truly mean and how far they can be enforced or allowed to be free.
While the idea of freedom of speech may be controversial in America, it can be even more controversial and difficult to understand in other countries around the world. In a recent article in the New York Times I read about a South Korean blogger who was recently freed from prison after he was acquitted by a court in South Korea from the charges of “maliciously spreading false information on the internet”. This struck me as an interesting article because South Korea is often considered an American ally and is a democratic country that is not known for its violations of human rights. I also thought this article interesting because it involved the internet which gives people the ability to share their thoughts and ideas, whether they are good or bad, with millions of people. Eventually though, the blogger was found not guilty because he did not intend to disturb the public and this appeared to be an attempt by the South Korean government to censor some of the people whose ideas and words they felt offended their government and caused confusion amongst their people. This was a blatant violation of that blogger’s right to share his thoughts on the government and the economy. This type of censorship probably would not happen in America because people many times share their opinions regarding the government and economy and regularly, even on television, critique the government and financial state of America. It is what makes our government run and helps to make sure we are as efficient as possible. It is clear that while America tries to be responsible with its freedom of speech, not all countries can clearly do the same.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/southkorea/index.html?inline=nyt-geo