Introduction
Freedom of speech refers to the extent to which the government or the laws of a country defends the rights of its citizens to express themselves freely without victimization or blackmail. It incorporates the liberty to speak your mind without fear of victimization or criticism from state organs in a manner that you deem fit or just (Volokh, 2016). With the emergence of digital communication, more people globally can express themselves as they wish, with limited interference from the government. In the era of social media communication, the state has regulated influence over what the citizens can say or how they say it. However, there are instances where the people might misuse the freedom of speech to share derogatory statements about the state or other individuals, culminating in defamation or libel. The form must regulate these instances to avoid conflicts between individuals and the state or individuals and their fellows. In this regard, freedom of speech can have both pros and cons. This paper will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of freedom of expression. The thesis statement for the essay will be; freedom of speech has its benefits and limitations.
Freedom of speech creates an avenue for citizens to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of being prosecuted by the sitting government. Citizens have the liberty to share their thoughts on governance matters and determine the destiny of their country. The freedom of expression allows people to contribute to national development by championing equal representation and equitable distribution of resources. The freedom of expression also incorporates the freedom of the media to report what is happening in society without considering the political or socio-cultural affiliations. These rights must be protected under the constitution to expand the democratic space of the countries and ensure that the plight of the people is well taken care of. Through proper communication, people can share the ills that happen in a society like corruption, embezzlement of public funds, police brutality, and misuse of public office.
Freedom of expression establishes and enhances resiliency in individuals. Other than exposing individuals to hate speech, libel, defamation, and propaganda is upsetting and generates apprehension in some citizens, and it also develops a resilient mindset in the process (Volokh, 2016). As an alternative to raising your voice when articulating ideas, freedom of speech improves your argument. In this regard, observation or counter-observation enables the creation of the desired outcomes whereby the progress towards the greater good occurs. The little or no tolerance for divergent opinions only limits the civil liberties that many people might despise when they wish to express themselves in specific ways.
Freedom of expression also enhances acquaintance for the community. Whenever individuals have an opportunity to make inquiries and share their opinions, it presents more education changes in the community. Civil liberty to learning opportunities makes it more comfortable for all people to discover new ideas, recommend solutions and share information freely without the fear of stereotyping or victimization by any authority (Volokh, 2016). Even though some of the pictures may not work when put on trial, examining them yields the general advancement of the social order. In this regard, the community should continue advocating for the freedom of speech.
Also, freedom of speech allows the free flow of information between communities and enhances cultural assimilation and heritage. The ability to share cultural, religious, and political views without victimization allows individuals to grow stronger and become influential members of society (Yong, 2011). In this regard, the people become aware of their civil rights to free expression to protect themselves from the hatred spread by rivals or the few disgruntled individuals. This approach is one of the best strategies to ensure that the citizens enjoy their right to proper representation and express the national interest at the onset.
Besides the benefits of freedom of speech, it also has its fair share of cons. Freedom of speech may incite violence between individuals or states (Koschwitz, 1972). When a person commits an act of violence against his following fellow incitement by a particular speech, it culminates into severe breakage of the law. If not correctly checked, freedom of speech might lead to defamation, libel, or hate speech, a recipe for violence between individuals or states. In this regard, law enforcers must prohibit individuals from defaming or spreading hate speech against other people.
Another shortcoming of the freedom of expression is that it is prone to misuse by political leaders, which eventually may lead to chaos locally, regionally, and globally. Freedom of speech may be mistaken to mean that humans are free to spread malicious information about their fellows or the state (Yong, 2011). Many political and community leaders have always misused the freedom of speech to spread hatred and propaganda against rival communities or political parties. As a result, the followers of these politicians end up engaging in eternal chaos, which leads to the loss of property worth millions of dollars and the lives of people in the surrounding areas. If not properly checked, the freedom of expression may be abused by criminal agents to spread defamatory statements against the state and the people in the community to protect the interests of some few individuals.
Conclusion
In summary, freedom of speech allows the free flow of information between communities and enhances cultural assimilation and heritage. The ability to share cultural, religious, and political views without victimization allows individuals to grow stronger and become influential members of society. In this regard, the people become aware of their civil rights to free expression to protect themselves from the hatred spread by rivals or a few disgruntled individuals. This approach is one of the best strategies to ensure that the citizens enjoy their right to proper representation and express the national interest at the onset.
Freedom of speech may mean the individuals’ capability to express their thoughts, ideas, and opinions without fear of victimization from the state or other individuals. Liberty to free expression of self has its advantages and disadvantages. It enhances resiliency in individuals. Other than exposing individuals to hate speech, libel, defamation, and propaganda is insensitive and generates panic in some citizens. It also develops commitment in the process. It also enhances knowledge for the community. On the other hand, this freedom may incite violence if not adequately managed.
One of the shortcomings of the freedom of expression is that it is prone to misuse by political leaders, which eventually may lead to chaos locally, regionally, and globally. Freedom of speech may be mistaken to mean that humans are free to spread malicious information about their fellows or the state. Many political and community leaders have always misused the freedom of speech to spread hatred and propaganda against rival communities or political parties. As a result, the followers of these politicians end up engaging in eternal chaos, which leads to the loss of property worth millions of dollars and the lives of people in the surrounding areas. If not properly checked, the freedom of expression may be abused by criminal agents to spread defamatory statements against the state and the people in the community to protect the interests of some few individuals.
References
Koschwitz, H. (1972). The Case’New York Times’. The Pros and Cons of Freedom of the Press. Gazette (Leiden, Netherlands), 18(4), 235-244.
Volokh, E. (2016). The Freedom of Speech and Bad Purposes. UCLA L. Rev., 63, 1366.
Yong, C. (2011). Does freedom of speech include hate speech?. Res Publica, 17(4), 385-403.
write