Free Speech

After I had this up and ready to go live a few semesters ago, the attack and shooting at the Garland events center happened. A woman, Pamela Geller, hosted a “Draw a Cartoon of Muhammad” contest. Two guys decided that they didn’t like that, and in response they attacked (unsuccessfully) with assault weapons. The attack just points up the importance of this topic. So because this event was so close to home, I’m even more interested in how this discussion goes. Other than this intro I’ve left the Discussion Board as it was….

Freedom of speech is one of the bedrock principles of American democracy. But how far should free speech be protected?

Many people in America and around the world were horrified by the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine in France. That attack was a response to perceived disrespect for a religious belief. Some expressed outrage that “just drawing a cartoon” could be answered by a murderous attack. Others were outraged at the content of the cartoons and either expressed complete sympathy with the attackers or said “No, the cartoonists shouldn’t have been killed, but they really shouldn’t have drawn those disrespectful cartoons, either.”

A little closer to home, we have people whose freedom of speech is being challenged as well:
– The Westboro Baptist Church has been repeatedly challenged for its protests at events including funerals of American soldiers in which their aggressively expressed message is that God is justifiably punishing America for tolerating homosexuality. 
– The Ku Klux Klan (and I’ll include a link you may not want to click on — it’s graphic — to a current Klan site because it’s part of the real world we live in today) here that has been attacked for spreading its message that ethnic, cultural and religious minorities are inferior and should be banned or eliminated. 
– On college campuses, groups have stolen print runs of college newspapers that contain an objectionable (to the protesters) editorial message. 
– Lawmakers have proposed legislation that some say criminalizes even peaceful protest.
– Numerous people have lost their jobs or their reputations over tweets or Facebook updates that were perceived to be insensitive or insulting.

These issues are not limited to the U.S., of course. Some say (and others vehemently deny) the Obama White House supported action at the United Nations that would encourage criminalization of disrespectful speech directed at religions.

I’m sure you can think of other examples of free speech controversies.

How far should free speech be allowed to extend? I’m not talking about legally proscribed speech like joking about bombs at the airport, but about speech that is “merely” offensive or insulting or politically radical. Is it OK to insult religious beliefs? If we can’t mock or insult someone’s beliefs, do we really have free speech?

I’ll be interested to hear what you have to say!

Remember you need to make your “Initial Post” of at least 250 words and you need to complete at least two responses (the “Final Posts”) of at least 200 words each to classmates by the dates shown in the course schedule. 

Remember there is one date for your Initial Post and a later date for your Final Posts.

I think I’d like to append here a few thoughts….

I don’t imagine anyone really thinks it’s “OK to insult religious beliefs.” We probably all agree that it’s rude to insult other religious beliefs, and in polite society we generally disapprove of rudeness. But perhaps rudeness is not really the question. People are rude all the time, but rude speech is not against the law unless it is intended to incite violent action. Even more…. not simply that someone may conceivably react violently, but that the speech is a) positively intended to produce a violent reaction, and b) it is actually likely to produce that reaction. Prohibiting speech because it is possible to imagine that someone may react violently is not what our law does. That would be what’s called the “Heckler’s Veto.” (Remember that I’m not a lawyer and cannot and do not give legal advice. I think in general my characterization of the state of the law is correct, though. A recent supreme court decision — Elonis v. U.S. — is consistent with this way of thinking.)

An example I have used in class (because it is so graphic it always gets a response) is that it is abhorrent, but not a violation of free speech, for someone to stand on a podium and say “I don’t like old people and think they should all be killed.” Where it would legally become no longer protected free speech would be if the speaker pointed to me sitting in the room and said “There’s Professor Moore! He’s old! Let’s kill him!” That could be “likely to incite imminent lawless action.” It would be a violation that could invite legal sanction.

My question is not “Should we as members of polite society say things that are disrespectful of others’ beliefs?” That’s too easy. Of course we shouldn’t. The question is “Should it be against the law to be disrespectful of other people’s beliefs? Should those who are disrespectful be subject to penalties handed down by the government, or convicted of a crime? Should they go to jail?”

It’s been decided repeatedly, for example, that it’s legal to burn the American flag as a protest, even though many people can think of no greater insult. Others see that as a legitimate form of political protest. And our historical judicial protection of free speech continues to allow it.

Should we make rudeness or disrespect a crime or a civil offense? Where should we draw the line? What kinds of speech should we make “sanctionable” by the law?

After the Civil War, the United States became a much more industrialized society. Between 1865 and 1920, industrialization improved American life in many ways. However, industrialization also created problems forAmerican society. Consider events that took place after the Civil War and discuss ways that industrializationaffectedthe U.S. between 1865 and 1920.

You have already developed a thesis statement and developed an outline in which you identify three main points relevant to your topic. Now you will develop the final paper in which you explore your main points in detail.

Write a three to five(3-5) page paper in which you:

1. Introduce your paper with your previously crafted thesis statement.
2. Identify three (3) major aspects of industrialization during 1865 and 1920 that influenced U.S. society, economy, and politics. Consider issues such as geography, entrepreneurship, legislative representation, etc. Explain your responses with specific examples and details.
3. Identify three (3) specific groups that were affected by industrialization and provide two examples for each group describing how the group was affected. (Consider issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, child labor, etc.)
4. Summarize how industrialization affected the life of the average working American during this period. Use specific examples and details.
5. Use at least three (3) quality references. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not quality as academic resources.

Your assignment mustfollow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, doublespaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA style or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identifyand discuss the different ways that the heritage of slavery, the Civil War, the Reconstruction, and segregation have shaped America’s history.
• Summarize and discuss the ways that formal policies of government have influenced the direction of historical and social development in the United States.
• Recognize the major turning points in American history since the Civil War.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in contemporary U.S. history.
• Write clearly and concisely about contemporary U.S. history using proper writing mechanics.

Choose an international terrorist group from the following list, and use the Internet or Strayer databases to research the origin, purpose, and effects on the U.S. or targeted countries.

• Hezbollah
• HAMAS
• Al Qaeda (AQ)
• Al-Shabaab
• Haqqani Network (HQN)

Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you:

1. Provide a brief description of the group, and summarize its origins.
2. Explain the group’s major motivation(s) (beliefs or causes), and / or its justification for engaging in terrorism.
3. Describe the group’s major sources of both financial and non-financial support.
4. Evaluate the importance of the group’s use of media to aid in its terrorist activities. Indicate, at a minimum, the group’s purpose for using the media, the image being portrayed, and the preferred methods of communication.
5. Determine whether or not the group has a legitimate complaint or demand. Defend your response.
6. Determine whether or not the group and its activities are of importance to the U.S., and explain the key reasons that they are or are not significant.
7. Analyze the response of the U.S. to the group or its activities, regardless of whether or not either the group or its activities directly threaten or target the U.S. Determine whether or not that response has been effective. Support your answer with examples of such effectiveness—or the lack thereof.
8. Suggest the major changes you would make geared toward increasing the efficiency of the U.S.’s response to the group. Justify your response.
9. Use at least five (5) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Interpret the operational functioning of terrorist groups.
• Describe the history and development of the major terrorist groups in the world.
• Analyze current terrorist threats and the role of terrorist networks.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in Terrorism and Antiterrorism.
• Write clearly and concisely about terrorism and antiterrorism using proper writing mechanics and APA style conventions.