Freedom Of Speech

Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself." The basic rights guaranteed to Americans in the Bill 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 forgotten 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 radio, just like books, magazines, artwork, and newspapers, should not be censored.

We are willing enough to praise freedom when she is safely tucked away in the past and cannot be a nuisance. In the present, amidst dangers whose outcome we cannot foresee, we get nervous about her, and admit censorship." Even thought E. M. Forster lived over one hundred years before the Communications Decency Act was even 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 radio station could be punished for, in the words of the Communications Decency Act of 1996.

If we look at the specific median of radio we can see over the years of more stringent rules that are enforcing censorship on the airwaves. The term "shock jocks" didn't come into the mainstream until Howard Stern arrived and lawmakers started scratching their heads. The over politically correct society that we live in today are creating a double standard that may be hard to disengage from in the future. The attack on our airwaves have been ever more diligent by special interest groups and politicians that are trying to get elected on the stance of good moral values. The perspectives of many Americans are that