Maverick Imlay
What is freedom of speech? Freedom of speech encourages people to express their
thoughts and opinions openly and without concern about legal repercussions, censorship, or
other forms of retaliation. Freedom is the matrix, the necessary condition for nearly all types
of freedom. All other human rights are strengthened by public speaking, allowing society to
advance. To change democracy, we have the freedom to speak out and express our opinions.
These are only a few reasons why freedom of speech is significant.
People’s self-expression is protected from government censorship under the First
Amendment, including federal, state, and local government members. This broad category
includes not just legislators and elected officials, however, also the staff of government
agencies such as universities and schools, the judiciary, and the police.
Unlike what numerous people think, censorship is much more biased. If others agree
with what is being told, the government or social media won't censor it or place restrictions on
them. If people oppose the government or speak out about the reality of what's happening.
However, they will be censored, restricted, and banned from social media feeds.
Without free speech, we would have no way of communicating our opinions to our
leaders, no way to defend ourselves, and, most importantly, no choice in life. This is how we
feel today since the media and our government keep us from knowing the truth. As a result,
they are attempting to exert control over our actions and way of life.
Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Google can alter civic engagement and
hijack democracy by swaying people's opinions in a particular direction. Twitter, for instance,
was one social media platform that served as a focal point for censorship and corruption in
our day-to-day lives. Recently, Twitter's ownership changed, which might help reduce or end
dishonest posting and misconduct for Twitter. However, there are other options for sharing
heavily edited or censored articles.
As our forefathers fought to gain the rights and freedoms, which have been passed
down to us today. However, today it feels like we are losing those privileged rights our
forefathers fought for, due to censorship, ethics, and world leaders.
I asked my high school American History teacher, Mr. Mark Modica, a question about
the freedom of speech during our conversation. The questions are listed as follows:
1. How do you feel the censorship of speech on social media is affecting young
minds?
Mr. Modica sent me a link to a YouTube video for the question, asking me to watch it
and provide a summary for his response. Society's foundations of freedom are not as it seems,
according to woke personnel. To them, it is a right-wing idea. The left believes that their
emotions are more important than facts. Today's youth are using Social Media apps more
frequently because their parents or guardians provided them with electronic devices when
they were young—allowing the government to alter the feelings of these easily manipulative
minds| (OxfordUnion).
Mr. Modica also wanted to talk to me about the first amendment's corruption and
make a few points. To begin with, it isn't just in the United States; it is widespread throughout
the entire world. Secondly, since the poor and middle class are the ones who desire an
expression of what happens in their community, they will most likely be the ones to put a stop
to this, not the wealthy (Modica).
To sum up, everything that has been stated so far in America believes that if the right
to free speech is threatened, all persons will not be able to partake in questioning and truthful
conversations. I now fear that, along with my voice, the voices of numerous more of my
peers, friends, and family will be silenced.
Work Cited
Modica, Mark. Interview. January 2023, Hayesville, NC, Clay County.
OxfordUnion. “Konstantin Kisin | This House Believes Woke Culture Has Gone Too Far - 7/8
| Oxford Union.” YouTube, 12 January 2023, https://youtu.be/zJdqJu-6ZPo. Accessed
26 January 2023.
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