Limits On The Freedom Of Expression

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Limits On The Freedom Of Expression

• Curtis Mathis

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Fundamental Freedom of Expression

• Freedom of Expression is a pressing issue mainly
  in Colleges and Universities
• Some Believe Freedom is Unlimited and Should
  Never Be Compromised
• Others Believe Freedom is Guaranteed Until a
  Certain Point Where Situations Could Arise

3
Derek Boks Standpoint

• Derek Bok - Dean of Harvard- Supports Unlimited
  Freedom
• His Argument Stems From A Situation At Harvard in
  1991
• Students Displayed Symbols Which Are Sometimes
  Deemed Offensive- at Harvard
• Wrote An Essay For Boston Globe Supporting His
  Position

4
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Derek Boks Standpoint

• Derek Bok - Dean of Harvard- Supports Unlimited
  Freedom
• His Argument Stems From A Situation At Harvard in
  1991
• Students Displayed Symbols Which Are Sometimes
  Deemed Offensive- at Harvard
• Wrote An Essay For Boston Globe Supporting His
  Position

6
Milena Ateyea

• Wrote A Curse and a Blessing Supporting Derek
  Bok
• From Bulgaria- Communist Regime- Moved to America
  In Early 1990s
• Immediately Supported Derek Bok After Reading His
  Essay
• Has Emotion Ties To Subject And Background She
  Relates To

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Why Is The Freedom Of Expression A Big Deal ?

• The Freedom of Expression Is An Important Part Of
  The American Political System
• The freedom of speech is in place to promote
  sharing ideas and beliefs, and to allow these
  interactions to shape the society in a positive
  way but Certain displays and expressions however,
  hold no rationale

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The Problem That Arises

• Sometimes a demonstration or expression Has The
  Potential To Become Dangerous Or Detrimental
• Authorities become Confused on Whether They Have
  Responsibility To Take Action Against People
  Exercising Freedom Of Expression
• When An Expression Becomes Detrimental To A
  Group- Namely A College Campus- Authorities Have
  the Responsibility To Look Out For The Welfare Of
  The Student Population
• When The Authorities In Schools Take Action They
  Have Historically Been Protected By Court
  Decisions and Rulings

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What Are The Schools Responsibilities?

• Teach The Students
• Protect The Students
• Supreme Court Rulings Have Held That A School Has
  The Authority To Prevent expression when it could
  be Detrimental To The Learning Environment
• Other Rulings Have Said That Schools Should Take
  Action Where The Speech Interfered With the
  Schools Goal of Teaching Students Socially
  Acceptable Behavior

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Legitimate Limits?

• Limits Should Exist Where They Are Beneficial To
  A Group
• When individual Interests Get In The Way Of
  Public Interests, Public Is More Important (Harer
  18)
• Social Utility Is The Point where Individual And
  Private Interests Intersect
• A Good Way To Determine At What Point An
  Expression Should Be Stopped
• One Downfall, Doesnt Factor In What Could Be
  Beneficial To Society or Politics

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Works Cited

• Ateyea, Milena. A Curse and a Blessing 29 Apr.
  2004. http//bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/everyday_wri
  ter/studentwriting/pdf/AteyeaMLAargument.pdf . (7
  Aug 2005)
• Bok, Derek. Protecting Freedom of Expression on
  the Campus. Current Issues and Enduring
  Questions. Ed. Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau. 6th
  ed. Boston Bedford, 2002. 51-52. Rpt. Of
  Protecting Freedom of Expression at Harvard.
  Boston Globe 25 May 1991.
• Ginsberg, Benjamin Theodore J. Lowi, and
  Margaret Weir. We The People, An Introduction to
  American Politics Shorter 5th Ed. W W Norton
  and Co. New York 2005.
• Harer, John B. and Jeanne Harrell. People For
  and Against Restricted or Unrestricted
  Expression Greenwood Press. Westport,
  Conneticut 2002.
• Sunstein, Cass R. Democracy and the Problem of
  Free Speech. The Free Press. New York 1993.
• Williamson, E.G. and John L. Cowan. The American
  Students Freedom of Expression A Research
  Appraisal University of Minnesota Press.
  Minneapolis 1966.