Free Speech and the Internet
Several years after the end of the American Revolution the United States Constitution was being drafted by some of the nations most important historical figures. Politicians such as Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and George Washington were just three of the thirty-nine who eventually signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787 (“United States Constitution,” 2015, “1787 Drafting,” para. 7). With the birth of the constitution, came the fear that our newly created nation might slip back under control of a monarchy once again. Therefore, on June 8, 1789, in order to combat such a situation, a group of anti-federalists headed by James Madison proposed a series of thirty-nine amendments to be added to the Constitution. These amendments were designed to guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public (“United States Bill of Rights,” 2015, “Introduction,” para. 1). The first ten of the new amendments, arguably the most important of the thirty-nine, were thus labeled the Bill of Rights. Amendments in the Bill of Rights protect freedoms such as the right to bear arms, protection from unreasonable search and seizure, right to due process, right to trail by jury, protection from quartering troops, and finally the First Amendment, the right to freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, and to petition the government (“United States
1. In 1789, James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights, which lists specific constraints on federal control in a set of 10 amendments ratified by the states. Liberty, meaning freedom from governmental and economic control, was the central factor and of utmost importance in the eyes of Madison and his fellow founding fathers when drafting the Bill of Rights. Protecting the peoples’ respective personal liberties such as freedom of speech and the right to exercise particular religious beliefs played a vital role in the creation of these amendments however limits were also placed on the freedoms granted in order to preserve the nation’s wellbeing.
The Constitution is the framework for today's modern US government (National, n.d.). "Defines the scope and limit of government power” (National, n.d., par. 2). The United States federal government today still follows the structure in the constitution. This shows that, as Adams said, "the three-and-a-half month convention (was) 'the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen” (Constitution, 2017, par. 4). "The United States Constitution has secured an unprecedented degree of human freedom, upholding the rule of law, securing the blessings of liberty, and providing the framework for the people of America to build a great, prosperous, and just nation unlike any other in the world" (Constitution, 2017, par. 1). Citizens in countries without a Bill of Rights like the United States’ don’t have the same freedoms as Americans. Without the Constitution, businesses would not run like they do today; schools could force beliefs on students; people wouldn’t be able to express themselves. Even though the Constitution is over 200 years old, it has retained its core values, while also adapting to the time (History, 2009). With a simple yet arduous process, the Constitution can be amended to stay with the times. There have been 27 amendments total to the United States Constitution. The first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, are the most famous. These freedoms in the
The Constitution is one of the most important document of the United States of America along with the Declaration of Independence. In the Constitution, the founding fathers and the government also included a set of "rights" entitled, The Bill of Rights. In The Bill of Rights, citizens of the U.S. are given rights, amendments, that make the U.S a "free" country today. This system has provided many citizens with rights such as, allowing them to express their religion and free speech and protect their privacy with no officials is allowed to search someone 's belongings unless there is a warrant that states reason. There are many more amendments besides the two listed and each of them are of equal importance to balance the power between the
The United States Constitution was recognized to Americans as a vague statement in clarifying the privileges and the rights of individuals and centralizing the power within the government itself. With the passing of the Bill of Rights and the first ten amendments, it grants the people to what is said to be their “natural rights” following additional rights that have significantly changed our society.
There are ten Amendments in the Constitution, they are called the Bill of Rights. Each one of the Amendments protects a different right that people liveing the United States have. The Constitution was created in 1791. It took many drafts, but after 116 days on September 17, 1787 the members of Congress finally signed the Constitution (Constitutional FAQ Answer #87, usconstitution.net). James Madison wrote the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights (U.S Founding Fathers, constitution facts.com). Each Amendment, of the Bill of Rights, is important for a different reason. The first Amendment states,” Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” (1st Amendment, cornell.edu). The first Amendment is very important because it protects the U.S. citizen's freedom of religion, freedom of press, and freedom of speech.
The Constitution of the United States was made through compromises that not everyone agreed on but they came to an agreement on what they thought it should be. Before all of the fifty states were founded there was not a Bill of Rights, it was not until the new government was up and running before the Bill of Rights was added. The reason for this was that the framers of the constitution did not realize that the Bill of Rights was necessary to have at the time. A certainly important choice that was made was how our government was to be
A quote from Thomas Jefferson said that "a bill of rights is what a people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse or rest on inference (Schweikart)." One would think that Jefferson was a wise man for saying this. His words were powerful. Many people felt this way and the American people did not want a corrupt government that was only for the rich. During the writing of the bill of right there were the Federalist and the anti-federalist the two were in disagreement of whether the ten amendments should be added. The Federalist felt as if the constitution was already completed and nothing should be added, although the anti federalist felt that the people’s rights should be set in stone, and some things needed to be added to the constitution to reassure the people. The anti Federalist wanted to change the wording of the United States Constitution. The Federalist disagreed and said that no one had the right to change the United States constitution and that the bills should be reviewed and added on to the constitution. “The House voted to accept the Bill of Rights on September 24, 1789, with the Senate concurring the following day. (Bingham)" The bill of rights was there to ensure that the people followed the rules and that the government could not invade their rights. “Apparently, the first 10 amendments officially became part of the Constitution with their ratification by Virginia in late
The constitution is the foundation of America. It has the country’s beliefs and rights within it. In 1791, the Bill of Rights was added to the constitution because the Anti Federalists refused to ratify the constitution till the Bill was added. The Bill of Rights not only guarantees citizens rights but also it ensures a limited government. The 14th amendment was later created in 1868 which guaranteed due process of law and equal protection under the law. The Bill of Rights and 14th amendment was made in hope that the government would learn their limitations and wouldn’t interfere with a person’s rights. It was basically the rules set for the government to follow. However as time goes by, the effectiveness of the Bill of Rights has lessened.
When the original Articles of Confederation was drafted in 1777, a bill of rights was considered unnecessary. The U.S government was not considered a single national government, but an alliance of independent states. Since the national government has no power to restrict people’s rights, there was no need for laws to prevent it from doing so. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787 the Constitution was passed without a bill of rights. When the constitution was sent to the states for ratification, a debate broke out between the Federalists, who supported a strong national government, and the Anti-Federalists, who supported retaining the spirit of the Articles of Confederation . Although the constitution was passed without a bill of rights, some Anti-Federalists felt that that it would be worthwhile to specifically protect through constitutional amendments such individual rights as free speech, religious exercise, and jury trials. Thomas Jefferson who sided with Anti-Federalists on this matter, sent a letter in 1789 to James Madison to pass the bill of rights . Madison submitted a draft of his proposed bill of rights several months later, and Congress passed it modified version by the end of the year. After ratification by the states, the Final Bill of Rights consisted of ten amendments that covered a wide range of topics, guaranteeing citizens individual rights such as freedom of speech and religious liberty and protecting them from excessive bail, unwarranted searches,
In 1791, the Bill of Rights was drafted by congress after arguments ensued over whether the Constitution would uphold the rights of the American people. James Madison proposed twelve Amendments so to limit the power of government, allowing for a more stately and locally controlled system but, only ten were ratified. The ten amendments to be ratified were created to give American citizens freedoms they did not have under British rule. However, in current society the freedoms protected in the Bill of Rights are conflicted by the federal government and the confliction are justified as being beneficial for the general public. The altered interpretations of the Bill of Rights have forsaken freedom of speech, allowed unjustified search and seizure,
Although the constitutions main goal was to establish a strong government after the failed Articles of Confederation, there are still five parts that take part in protecting individual rights of the people. The Bill of Rights, which is the first 10 amendments. Amendment 1: Freedom of religion, speech, and press. Amendment 2: Right to keep or bear arms. Amendment 3: Protection from quartering soldiers. Amendment 4: Protection from unreasonable search or seizure. Amendment 5: Right to due process of law. Amendment 6: Right to trial by jury, speedy trial, public trial, counsel. Amendment 7: Right to civil by trial by jury. Amendment 8: Prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment. Amendment 9: Protection of rights not enumerated in the Constitution. Amendment 10: Protection of the powers of the states and the people. Amendments 14, 15, 19, and 26 are also other amendments/parts that are for the rights of people. Amendment 14 is citizenship rights. This amendment gives citizenship to anyone born
This paper addresses whether we should censor or block access to websites with controversial material. It looks at the issue from several sides: The relevant US laws that are in place, how censorship is used at the university and corporate levels, how other countries are attempting censorship, and finally what I feel about the topic.
There are many Amendments in The Bill of Rights and all of the rights are to the constitution to the United States. The purpose of the The Bill of Rights is to protect individuals liberties. The Bill of Rights was written in 1789 and was ratified in December 15, 1791, James Madison wrote The Bill of Rights and he was the one to guide it through the New Constitution.
Abstract: The issue of free speech has been around since the founding fathers first ratified the constitution of the United States. With the emergence of new technology, especially the Internet, freedom of speech has been redefined and its limits tested. What are the limitations of free speech on the Internet, and how can they be enforced? These are the constitutional questions for the digital age.
Brendan O'Neill’s article, “ The internet’s war on free speech” denotes the freedom for Facebook and Twitter. Brendan O'Neill says, “...either because the curator 'didn't recognize the news topic' or 'they had a bias'. ...stories they see are chosen by user 'likes', rather than by editors who decide what we web plebes should and shouldn't know. ...for a couple of years now they've been casting out moral undesirables, blocking the offensive and engaging in political censorship.” Therefore, they’re not sure if they should censor bad things, but sometimes these offensive or terrible things can get to something serious. People could end up getting arrested, in the article it includes, “ ...a 19-year-old was arrested after tweeting a joke about