Freedom Of Expression
Freedom of Expression is an important concept in today’s world. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition — this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression” (Freedom of Expression). In order to have freedom of expression, we need communities and the government to come together to agree on some important terms. The government and laws are involved because they shape our world and what we do in it. They should make a statement on how people should be treated fairly. One of the primary components of expression is freedom of speech.
In certain ways, the government places controls on what people should and shouldn’t say. While some state, “It’s a free country,” people are not always able to say whatever they want. Traditionally, people have generally relied on journalism with voice. “Positioning itself as the gateway between governments and their publics, journalism has defined itself in part as the instrument people rely on to acquire the information they need to protect themselves from and to participate in government; journalism also has thought of itself as representing the voice of the people” (Borchard). This states that the journalists speak for people when they are not able to speak for themselves. Freedom of speech is also connected to freedom of expression.
There are many limits to freedom of expression. “Freedom of expression is not an absolute right and may be lawfully restricted in specific and limited conditions” (The Legitimate Limits to Freedom of Expression). It is very important to note that some things in the freedom of expression area may be restricted by the government to not use for the people. There is something called the three part test which determines whether a restriction on freedom of expression is legitimate or not. In order to show how Freedom of Expression is upheld, we must also show how things like hate speech and misuse of freedom are punishable by law. The freedoms of one person cannot violate the freedoms of many.
Communities step up for their rights and also freedom of expression. It’s so important to step up for what you believe in and have your voice be heard. “Your voice matters. You have the right to say what you think, share information and demand a better world. You also have the right to agree or disagree with those in power, and to express these opinions in peaceful protests” (Freedom of Expression). Once again it is so important to share what you believe in and have that opinion that everyone thinks is wrong. “The Chamber first examined whether Mr. Glukhin’s arrest and administrative conviction violated his rights to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the Convention” (Zalnieriute). This states that freedom of expression is in the convention so you can go to court for it. It would be important to go to court to stand up for your right.
Protecting freedom of expression is very important in today’s society. Loss of these freedoms can affect anyone and everyone if you put it in the wrong context. It’s important to keep the peace with everyone and not argue based on one little thing. But it is also important for people to fight for what they believe in. It is really sad to see this world get torn apart because we all don’t agree on everything. It’s all right that people don’t agree on everything, because there is no such thing as a perfect world.
Works Cited
“Freedom of Expression.” American Civil Liberties Union, 1 Mar. 2002, www.aclu.org/documents/freedom-expression. Accessed 24 February, 2024
“Freedom of Expression.” Amnesty International, 2019, www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/freedom-of-expression/. Accessed 24 February, 2024
Nerone, John . “History of Free Expression.” The Sage Encyclopedia of Journalism, edited by Gregory A. Borchard, 2nd ed., vol. 2, SAGE Reference, 2022, pp. 690–697. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8520200169/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=f9348ef8. Accessed 24 Feb.
UNESCO. “The Legitimate Limits to Freedom of Expression: The Three-Part Test.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Sept. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wg8fVtHPDag. Accessed 16 April 2024
Zalnieriute, Monika. “Facial recognition technologies, freedom of expression, right to private life, surveillance, protest, biometric data, data privacy — European Convention on Human Rights.” American Journal of International Law, vol. 117, no. 4, Oct. 2023, pp. 695+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774456242/OVIC?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=1900bcd3. Accessed 24 Feb. 2024.
- Truth To Power -One Republic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4DFXUndvbw
I chose this song because in the music video/lyric video, it’s very powerful and gives people hope almost. The video is showing people standing up for their rights. There is one point in the song where they are showing different kinds of people and the lyric, “be a believer” which is so strong and this song could teach people a lot. This song greatly describes the freedom of expression.
2. Freedom -Pharrell Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlY90lG_Fuw
I chose this song because it seems to spread a good message. The music video shows different places around the world and what people go through. His message is people shouldn’t go through the horrible things they go through and should be free. Slavery is also something we should stand up against.
3. Freedom -Jon Batiste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YHVC1DcHmo
I chose this song because it has a good vibe to it. Something I have noticed it its all african americans making these songs. It’s very good for young children to listen and watch these songs since they spread a good message across. This song’s message is about having it so all races can be together just like they are now.