There Should Not Be Any Limitations On Free Speech

Persuasive Speech Outline- There should not be any limitations on free speech. Name Course Date I: Introduction * One of the topics that have received attention of late is whether should there be limits to freedom of speech and expression despite being a key issue in democratic societies. * The question on whether to limit freedom of speech is a problem of legitimacy and is a moral problem. * There are instances where free speech is legally limited, but here is still no consensus in the US on the justification of these limits. * Freedom of speech can be limited in two ways: with legal direction that lead to more or less punishment, acquittal or condemnation and can be linked to social pressure. * Main banning free speech in campuses based on those who are offended ignores that free speech is crucial to support liberty and enhance dialogue. II Main Point: Limits are necessary in some cases * Free speech that harms people is at times justified, but expressing opinions that merely offend should not be banned in campuses. * Supporting the commission of serious crimes, incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence and attacks against a person or group of people are prohibited in many cases. * Advocates of free speech know that people get offended by different things, and everything that offends were stopped this would limit freedom of expression and speech to much. * Acts of discrimination and even physical attacks that denigrate groups that are then marginalized and made into scapegoats, are used justify malicious attacks against a group and how they are treated. III Main Point: Prohibiting speech is a times based on arbitrary criteria * When justifying the ban on free speech is applied to consider criteria of offense, many things would be prohibited depending on who is offended. * The challenge of accepting such criteria in campus is that those who exercise their rights and freedom would be blamed if they are attacked or targeted by those who feel and believe that they have been offended. * This would also imply that there are groups of people that deserve special respect more than others such that they cannot be critiqued. * The meaning of what hate speech would become less clear, and this would limit what people say in public because authorities would control what people can and cannot say. IV Main Point: Free speech is necessary to critique ideas, views and policies * In exercising free speech we should not harm anyone, but we should also not keep silent because opin...