Ethical Issues with the Constitution
Joshua Allen
English 122
Sylva Miller
09 Dec 2012
Ethical Issues with the Constitution
Freedom of Speech is a negative concept when applied to immoral circumstances.
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press …” as defined by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America (U.S. Constitution). The majority of democratic governments around the world are adopting similar doctrine to solidify the principles of their governmental structures (Hodges 3). One prime example, Canada, has followed the lead of the United States and granted citizens freedom of speech with untold limitations on its usage. These limitations have been implemented based on overwhelming abuse of the freedom of speech, especially when viewed from the angle of its use in cyberspace. Unfortunately freedom of speech is inherently a global issue because of the rapid accessibility and the relevance in today’s society (Hodges 5). In response, Canada and the United States are becoming exceedingly cautious and implementing various preventative techniques (Sim). When viewing the ethical and moral issues involved with materials in cyberspace, it’s a reasonable assumption that “free” should not be truly free and additional measures should be placed in order to monitor inappropriate activity.
To comprehend the entire scope of free speech in cyberspace, a person must understand the basics of the right defined in the Constitution. Free speech is commonly defined as “the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint by the government” (Hodges 3). This right, as seen daily in general media outlets, has been abused to an unparalleled capacity. In order to censor this material, the government has circumvented its own regulations and casually designed loopholes (Hodges 5).
The Fourteenth Amendment dictates the right to state and local governments of free speech in government sanctioned schools, colleges, and
English 122
Sylva Miller
09 Dec 2012
Ethical Issues with the Constitution
Freedom of Speech is a negative concept when applied to immoral circumstances.
“Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press …” as defined by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America (U.S. Constitution). The majority of democratic governments around the world are adopting similar doctrine to solidify the principles of their governmental structures (Hodges 3). One prime example, Canada, has followed the lead of the United States and granted citizens freedom of speech with untold limitations on its usage. These limitations have been implemented based on overwhelming abuse of the freedom of speech, especially when viewed from the angle of its use in cyberspace. Unfortunately freedom of speech is inherently a global issue because of the rapid accessibility and the relevance in today’s society (Hodges 5). In response, Canada and the United States are becoming exceedingly cautious and implementing various preventative techniques (Sim). When viewing the ethical and moral issues involved with materials in cyberspace, it’s a reasonable assumption that “free” should not be truly free and additional measures should be placed in order to monitor inappropriate activity.
To comprehend the entire scope of free speech in cyberspace, a person must understand the basics of the right defined in the Constitution. Free speech is commonly defined as “the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint by the government” (Hodges 3). This right, as seen daily in general media outlets, has been abused to an unparalleled capacity. In order to censor this material, the government has circumvented its own regulations and casually designed loopholes (Hodges 5).
The Fourteenth Amendment dictates the right to state and local governments of free speech in government sanctioned schools, colleges, and