Friday, December 21, 2012

Free Speech Dilemma

I have been meaning to write these posts for a long time but had to gather my thoughts before I write since it is a sensitive and critical subject to all of human beings not just Americans. Every year, many cases come up where the limits or restrictions to Free speech are challenged in courts. The U.S. Constitution guarantees free speech but does not define what the limit to it is. It has thus up to courts who try to interpret what constitutes free speech or not. The courts decide each case individually and thus come up with different verdicts. There has never been a set of rules where free speech can or cannot be applied. In this aspect everybody has to struggle individually of what to say or not to say since free speech can mean different things to different people. This post of mine will not be the last word on free speech and my point will or will not be endorsed by anybody reading it. But I can still try to find out what constitutes a free speech. As a case long time ago decided by the U.S. Supreme Court said that you cannot cry fire in a crowded theater and then claim free speech. And apart from that ruling you cannot threaten somebody with physical violence or smear their name and call it free speech. What constitutes a free speech to one individual may not be free speech to another person.

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