Censorship, Free Thought, Free Speech :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Free speech is the building block thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. The basic rights guaranteed to Americans in the posting of Rights is what holds the United States together. When Salman Rushdie wrote Guardian, he knew this. Unfortunately, the majority of congress and the President himself have bury the basic rights of Americans. When President William J. Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act that was proposed but the 104th Congress, he severely limited the rights of Americans on the Internet. The internet, just like books, magazines, artwork, and newspapers, should not be censored.   We be willing replete to praise freedom when she is safely shut in away in the past and cannot be a nuisance. In the present, amidst dangers whose impression we cannot foresee, we get nervous about her, and admit censorship. Even thought E. M. Forster lived all over one hundred years before the Communications Decency Act was sluice proposed, he knew of the reason for its acceptance - fear. The Congress was afraid of the potential problems that could be caused by allowing Americans a new medium where animosity could be freely given. Rather than allowing this, lawmakers introduced a law that would handicap the freedom of speech. An internet supplier could be punished for, in the words of the Communications Decency Act of 1996   every comment, request suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently repellant as measured by coetaneous community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs, regardless of whether the drug user of such service placed the call or initiated the communication or knowingly permits any telecommunications facility under such persons control to be used for an activity prohibited by paragraph (1) with the intent that it be used for such activity, shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not more t han two years, or both.   There are several flaws in this section of the Communications Decency Act that are due to the wording of the section itself. The entire section patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards is not defined enough to give a basis for people to be fined or imprisoned. What is offensive to the contemporary community?