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Reverted edits by Iheartbush (Talk); changed back to last version by Aschlafly
== What Free Speech Is ==
== What Free Speech Is ==
Free speech is the doctrine that allows a citizen to speak freely with just a little bit of government intervention. Like commies. We don't want no damn commies talking about their communist plots, now do we? See? Trust us. Just trust us.
Free speech is the doctrine that allows a citizen to speak freely without government intervention.
== What Free Speech is Not ==
== What Free Speech is Not ==
An important distinction is that free speech is ''not'' the right to be able to speak freely, privately. While the government may intrude, private organizations may set their own speech policies, and every citizen has a duty to speak and act responsibly. The First Amendment addresses none of these concerns as protected.
An important distinction is that free speech is ''not'' the right to be able to speak freely, privately. While the government may not intrude, private organizations may set their own speech policies, and every citizen has a duty to speak and act responsibly. The First Amendment addresses none of these concerns as protected.
Speech that is termed "fighting words" is protected speech. That is to say that speech that causes an act which the law does not protect, is protected. Thus, it is not a free speech violation to arrest a person for shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. Similarly, it is not protected speech to advocate the death of the president.
Speech that is termed "fighting words" is not protected speech. That is to say that speech that causes an act which the law does not protect, is not protected. Thus, it is not a free speech violation to arrest a person for shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. Similarly, it is not protected speech to advocate the death of the president.
Heckling is a gray area in the ethics of free speech. To a certain extent, interrupting a public speech with question or retorts is tolerated. On the other hand, using heckling as a tactic to stop the speaker is not an expression of free speech (on the heckler's part) as much as it is a violation of the speaker's free speech rights.
Heckling is a gray area in the ethics of free speech. To a certain extent, interrupting a public speech with question or retorts is tolerated. On the other hand, using heckling as a tactic to stop the speaker is not an expression of free speech (on the heckler's part) as much as it is a violation of the speaker's free speech rights.