Evolving Perspectives on Freedom of Speech: Navigating Boundaries

Rewriting Amendments

The Bill of Rights is what has given us the right to call our country the land of the free. It ensures we, the people of this country, have freedoms and rights. However, our society is constantly changing, and maybe it is time to rewrite some amendments to ensure that we are adapting to the changes occurring in our country now.

Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is why some people have come to make our country the place of their new home. The Freedom of religion states that the government cannot force a religion on you; you can be of any religion you desire and practice that religion freely. This amendment is one of the reasons we get to call the United States a country of freedom.

The history of religious freedom more or less began around 1635, with Rodger Williams, who granted anyone that came to Rhode Island religious freedom. In 1779, Thomas Jefferson tried to write a bill to grant religious freedom to all the people who lived in Virginia, but the bill was not passed. On December 15, 1791, the first amendment, which included freedom of religion, was adopted and established.
Freedom of religion has its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage to freedom of religion is that people are able to practice and share their beliefs with people of their religion. Having a group with similarities can provide individuals with a purpose and benefit their mental health. Another advantage to freedom of religion is that they help the less fortunate. Religious charities tend to cater to those in need, and that benefits the population who is less fortunate.

Having the freedom of religion also presents some disadvantages. A disadvantage to freedom of religion is that it is another way for people to separate themselves and create a divide. There have been multiple incidents where people of different religions will create an “us against them” divide due to not having the same religious beliefs. Another disadvantage to religious freedom includes people using their religion as a scapegoat for their misconduct. There are people who commit crimes or misbehave in society and use their religion to justify and save themselves from punishment. Having religious freedom also means people can share their beliefs and opinions with others, and that can cause conflict. For instance, some religions despise the LGBTQ community because it is against their beliefs, and people often get into conflicts because of it.

In the social climate of today, there is a lot of tension between people of different religions. There are people who want to convert others to their religion or shame people who are different due to their religious beliefs, which is why the amendment of freedom of religion should be revised. A possible revision is ‘citizens of the United States may be a part of any religion they desire and practice their religious beliefs, but may not discriminate against anyone of another religion, cause stress, harm, or treat anyone poorly who does not follow their religious beliefs, and may not course others to change their religion.’ This change is necessary so it can give people of the LGBTQ community and other minority groups a chance to express themselves with more freedom without having others harass them because of it.

Freedom of Speech

Some consider freedom of speech an obvious right that should be universal. Freedom of speech is given to citizens to make sure their voices are heard. It allows people to express how they feel verbally. People can agree or disagree with the way our government runs, how they feel about certain issues, and for the most part, anything they want to say. In 1791, freedom of speech was established, but it did not specify what could and could not be considered free speech until later on when child pornography, defamation, plagiarism, and threats, were not considered free speech.

Freedom of speech has its advantages. An advantage of freedom of speech is that people can use their voices to express their feelings and form relationships. Another advantage of freedom of speech is that it lowers the rate of violent conflict; it allows people to express how they feel verbally versus getting physical.

Freedom of speech also has disadvantages. A disadvantage to freedom of speech is that people can receive punishment from society for what they say. For instance, if a person works at a certain store and they go out and talk about how they hate that store, their boss can fire them. Another disadvantage to freedom of speech is that people who disagree with a person and the way they live their life and they can be vocal about it, which may cause people’s feelings to get hurt.

In today’s society, there are a number of different outlets for people to express themselves and voice their opinions. Sometimes freedom of speech can be a positive thing, but sometimes it can be a disadvantage, so in order to fit the changes of the country, a possible change is ‘Citizens of the United States have freedom of speech, but are not able to say anything racist or degrade anyone by saying things that affect them emotionally.’ This change is necessary so it can protect people from being belittled by others.

Right to bear arms.

The right to bear arms is given to citizens of the United States so that they have the opportunity to protect themselves. The right to bear arms was argued over in the cases that went to the Supreme Court for years. It began around the year 1876 when members of the Ku Klux Klan thought African Americans did not have the right to bear arms. The Supreme Court ruled that not every individual had the right to bear arms under the Constitution. There have been many cases since then, and the most recent one was in 2016. The case was a woman against the state of Massachusetts; the state convicted her for having a stun gun to use against her partner, who was violent, saying that arm was not legal to use. However, the Supreme Court ruled that every bearable arm was legal under the Constitution.

The right to bear arms has advantages. An advantage to the right to bear arms is that people can use their arms to protect themselves from anyone or anything that could cause them any harm. Another advantage to the right to bear arms is that it has educated and put awareness of firearms and the safety of their use out to the public.

The right to bear arms also has its disadvantages. A disadvantage to the right to bear arms is that guns can fall into the wrong hands. For example, children and teens can get a hold of guns and use them irresponsibly, such as causing a school shooting, and some can even harm themselves accidentally. Another disadvantage to the right to bear arms is that it can increase the danger; for instance, people can use their weapons to kill others.

There has been extensive research done on gun violence in the United States. Approximately 100 people are killed every day in the United States due to guns, and 66,673 people have been assaulted and killed by guns. In the year 2018 alone, there were 1,594 unintentional shootings. Gun violence in the United States is reaching an all-time high, with school shootings becoming more common, and so are deaths by guns. There are other studies on age and gun violence that have proven that people under the age of 25 cause a lot of violence due to guns. Around the age of 25, the brain becomes fully developed, allowing people to make better choices concerning guns.

Due to the prevalence of gun violence in the United States, there should be a revised right to bear arms that states, “Citizens of the United States have the right to bear arms at the age of 25 but must be licensed, take a test proving they know when it is legal to use their gun, must be screened properly for any mental health issues, and if they live with anyone under the age of 25 or someone without a gun license must have a proper storage area for their arms where the other individuals could not get a hold of their gun.” This change is necessary to ensure that guns are only accessible to people who are responsible and have taken the proper measures to have and use a gun.

References:

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   Pontes, Ariel. “Six Facts Free Speech Fundamentalists Love to Ignore.” Medium.com, Medium, 30 Oct. 2017, medium.com/humanist-voices/six-facts-free-speech-fundamentalists-love-to-ignore-8e0daa6fa78b.
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10. Whitley, Rob. “Religion and Mental Health: What Is the Link?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 8 Dec. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201712/religion-and-mental-health-what-is-the-link.
11. Winkler, Adam, and Cara Natterson. “There’s a Simple Way to Reduce Gun Violence: Raise the Gun Age.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 Jan. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/01/06/there-a-simple-way-to-fight-mass-shootings-raise-the-gun-age/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.08d027050ceb.