In Some Countries Speaking Is A Crime
If somebody asked me what I knew about the First Amendment seven weeks ago, I would have said, “Um, freedom of speech and religion?” I also would have known that due to the First Amendment, we have freedoms that other countries do not. As we were learning about the First Amendment, I browsed through the New York Times and read a gruesome article about how a young girl spoke out about something she felt strongly for in Pakistan and was shot. Before unpacking the first amendment during these first seven weeks, I never realized how important it actually is. Without the First Amendment, religious minorities would be persecuted, the government could establish a national religion, protesters could be silenced, the press could not criticize government, and citizens could not mobilize for social change. The people of this world need to have the ability to articulate their beliefs without being punished and so far the United States is the only country that is half way there.
A fourteen year-old girl named Malala Yousafzai spoke out for girls education in Pakistan, and according to the Taliban, this was a crime. The Taliban threw warning letters into her home, telling her to stop her protests. Malala refused to back down; instead, she started a fund to help impoverished Pakistani girls get an education. Because she stepped up and spoke out for her and her peers education, masked gunmen approached her school bus and shot her in the head and neck. “Let this be a lesson,” spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Eshsnullah Ehsan, said afterward. He also said that if she survives, the Taliban would again try to kill her. In the United States of America, the First Amendment protects instances such as these. Malala Yousafzai was shot because she was speaking out for something she believed in; in other countries, people are not protected to do that.
Protestors can also thank the First Amendment because they can assemble and speak out against certain things. People that believe that abortion is “murder” can protest against it and people who believe in pro-choice can protest for it. “George W. Bush will protect your unborn fetus, then send your grown child to die in war,” said Rick Claro. This is a quote that I found as I was researching things on pro-choice. This is a perfect example of what our country is allowed to do, thanks to the First Amendment. This is an incredibly strong statement, considering he was insulting our president at the time but it is allowed. As long as what you are saying or presenting doesn’t harm anybody, you are free to say it.
The United States of America attracts people from all over the world due to the promises and freedoms that the country portrays. The fact that you can speak your mind and not be punished for saying something incredibly insulting is a distant idea to a lot of people in the world. What a lot of people don’t know is that there are forms of unprotected speech: obscenity, libel and slander, conflict with government interest, fighting words, and clear and present danger. This means that you have the freedom of speech to an extent. The idea that you can say some things, but not others makes it an extremely hypocritical idea. Do not be fooled, you can say what you want but under these circumstances.
In the United States, its easy to take incidents like these for granted because we have the freedom of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly. My heart goes out to people like Masala. People that want to stand up for what they believe in. I am also incredibly thankful for the rights that my country gives me. Thanks to the First Amendment, the people of America can openly talk about their disagreements. I can only hope that one day, the rest of the world has the choice to speak up for what they believe in. I hope that people do not get punished for wanting an education. Everybody deserves the rights that the First Amendment grants.
A fourteen year-old girl named Malala Yousafzai spoke out for girls education in Pakistan, and according to the Taliban, this was a crime. The Taliban threw warning letters into her home, telling her to stop her protests. Malala refused to back down; instead, she started a fund to help impoverished Pakistani girls get an education. Because she stepped up and spoke out for her and her peers education, masked gunmen approached her school bus and shot her in the head and neck. “Let this be a lesson,” spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Eshsnullah Ehsan, said afterward. He also said that if she survives, the Taliban would again try to kill her. In the United States of America, the First Amendment protects instances such as these. Malala Yousafzai was shot because she was speaking out for something she believed in; in other countries, people are not protected to do that.
Protestors can also thank the First Amendment because they can assemble and speak out against certain things. People that believe that abortion is “murder” can protest against it and people who believe in pro-choice can protest for it. “George W. Bush will protect your unborn fetus, then send your grown child to die in war,” said Rick Claro. This is a quote that I found as I was researching things on pro-choice. This is a perfect example of what our country is allowed to do, thanks to the First Amendment. This is an incredibly strong statement, considering he was insulting our president at the time but it is allowed. As long as what you are saying or presenting doesn’t harm anybody, you are free to say it.
The United States of America attracts people from all over the world due to the promises and freedoms that the country portrays. The fact that you can speak your mind and not be punished for saying something incredibly insulting is a distant idea to a lot of people in the world. What a lot of people don’t know is that there are forms of unprotected speech: obscenity, libel and slander, conflict with government interest, fighting words, and clear and present danger. This means that you have the freedom of speech to an extent. The idea that you can say some things, but not others makes it an extremely hypocritical idea. Do not be fooled, you can say what you want but under these circumstances.
In the United States, its easy to take incidents like these for granted because we have the freedom of speech, press, religion, petition and assembly. My heart goes out to people like Masala. People that want to stand up for what they believe in. I am also incredibly thankful for the rights that my country gives me. Thanks to the First Amendment, the people of America can openly talk about their disagreements. I can only hope that one day, the rest of the world has the choice to speak up for what they believe in. I hope that people do not get punished for wanting an education. Everybody deserves the rights that the First Amendment grants.