What is meant by 'Freedom of Speech'?

Question

If we can't say what we want and believe..............

Answer 1

it means, if your white, english, work for a living, dont sighn on, and have always lived here, you have no freedom of speach for fear of upsetting every one who can complain.

Answer 2

Freedom of speech should be understood. It is not the most important thing for a stable society and also abuses disguised as freedom of speech are a problem that the laws and courts are trying to deal with by putting some limits on what you can say to keep society from exploding.

As they say too much talk is dangerous. So some things like "kill all whites" or "kill all blacks", obviously should be banned.

Answer 3

Freedom of speech should be the freedom to believe what you want and say what you want as long as you don't offend others, but people often abuse that freedom and use it JUST to abuse other people. Freedom of speech is freedom to a certain extent.

Answer 4

Free Speech:

If its OK for Abu Hamza to get up on a soapbox outside Finsbury Park Mosque and scream that he hates the West and death to all non-Muslims blah blah

Then its OK for Nick Griffin of the British Nationalist Party to stand up and say he dislikes and distrusts Islam.

Same treatment for both. Anything else is not freedom or equality.

Answer 5

"Freedom of Speech": priority given to whatever views people wish to voice. This is never absolute, though. As an example, we have slander laws limiting what you can say about someone else. Should freedom of speech extend to making speeches extoling the virtues of terrorist atrocities, or advocating other types of murder?

Answer 6

In this country, we can pretty well say what we please when we please. However, Freedom of Speech is not absolute nor should it be absolute. I pretty well say what I want to when I want to. I do police myself by asking (1) is it true (2) is it kind (3) is it necessary. I do not believe that Freedom of Speech should allow anyone to lie about others, to encourage lawbreaking or to allow bad language (cuss words, etc) in public places.

Answer 7

With the exception of the famous "fire in a crowded theater", threatening someone or publishing the documents for a nuclear bomb, you can say just about anything you want to if the First Amendment is operative. I will do it now. Down with Dictator Dumbya!!!

Answer 8

to finish you sentence,.....then we are in real trouble. Our country was founded by men who believed that censorship is a path to destruction. I think so as well although I do feel that with that free speech comes a responsibility to speak truth. There are those who would think that it only applies when they speak but in essence I think that although you might be able to say what you want you also can not listen to those who you don't want to hear.

Answer 9

A philosopher of old wrote, "I may profoundly disagree with what you say, but I shall defend to your death your right to say it."

I reckon this helps what is meant by Freedom of Speech.

Answer 10

now you say only what pleases others not what you want and that is why no one speakes and we end up to be mute people
we only watch and listen with no reaction of whatsoever
but i think there is 'freedom of speech' in the USA. .

Answer 11

I like jo-raz one, he's right... it means that we are allowed to say when we think something is wrong, we're allowed to tell our governent when we disagree and stuff, but God forbid if you say something against the muslims (or any minority, but they seem to be a rather large minority ) - I'm not racist or anything but my goodness me they're scary. Whatever they say we just have to nod and hide somewhere and change all our laws, stop wearing the cross, stop being too british in case they don't like it - parliament will ban tea next in case it offends.
Am I babbling?