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Somewhere down the pipeline of education, someone told us we had “freedom of speech.” Constitutionally it is guaranteed by our first amendment. However, what does this freedom really mean and for whom is its implications?
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The misconception of “freedom of speech” is that individuals can say whatever they want without ramifications. No. The first amendment guarantees you the right to say or do as you please, however, it doesn’t explicitly state nor imply that you would be free of consequences.
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Freedom of speech means you can say and do as you please so long as it doesn’t offend certain demographics. Take Colin Kaepernick for instance. His right to protest and speak against social injustices are guaranteed in the first amendment, but he offended the good folks of America and now he is at the heart of a collusion plot where the NFL has blackballed him. Freedom to protest didn’t give him freedom from perceived consequences.
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Many people have used the “right” to spew epithets and do not suffer consequences for doing such. A well-structured insincere apology is usually the end result. However offending LGBTQ has cost many their jobs and rightfully so. It’s not to say that these individuals shouldn’t be without a job. However, it is to highlight that typically speaking the 1st amendment guarantees freedom of speech for a certain demographic and to an extent freedom of consequences.
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That freedom of speech isn’t really free. It has a cost to it and it’s usually with the consequences that follow.
The True Definition of ” Freedom of Speech “
