Pros and Cons of Free Speech

 如今随着社会和文化的快速发展，美国人正在寻求更多的发音他们的声音，因为言论自由的权利已被自从911恐怖袭击的限制，在很大程度上，尤其是媒体。言论自由的讨论成为高校多元化政策对大学校园里最激烈的问题之一。言论自由不能被禁止，因为缺点的正上方，言论自由有利大于弊，更利于人与它的负面影响相比。
Nowadays with the fast development of society and culture, Americans are pursuing more to pronounce their sounds, because the right of free speech has been limited to a large extent since the 911 terrorist attack , especially the media’s. Also, in recent years, discussion of free speech become one of the most heated issues of college diversity policies on college campuses. For example, the Berkeley Bake Sale, an act of free speech was one of the significant results from the free speech protests and all expressions of political points of view of both students and instructors. They are the classic examples, as college community members, to exercise their rights of free speech. Some students do agree this act and those students’ and instructors’ behaviors, holding the idea that the free speech is an important way to share ideas and thus promote social progress, while others believe speech on campus should have some limited regulations and maintain a proper level or limitation, as they think free speech may lead to violence more easily. For example, in April of 2007, a Korean student killed 32 people and hurt a few students in Virginia Tech University, which led to one of the heaviest campus violence in America. One of the important reasons was that some student said something that offended the Korean student. Yet as the successful protests for free speech we can see above, free speech is a helpful and important way and tool to share ideas and thus make society progress. Therefore, people could not help but ask: should campus have the free speech and thus maintain the diversity on campus?
Indeed, free speech may cause some problems in the actual society: it may be a tool to deliver rumors or may be abused without any limitations at all.
Free speech is easy to deliver rumors or false knowledge and delude students to do bad things around the campus, because students are too young to distinguish the reality and falseness. Ten years ago, much false science knowledge was expressed secretly and largely around the campus in China. The Crazed Falun Gong was one of classic examples and did large harm to students, which had given rise to large-scale bad social reflections. At that time, this pseudoscience knowledge bewitched students that it is very beneficial to study Falun Gong, as it can bring you to the western paradise to have happy immortality. Falun Gong told them that it could cure their illness, realize their dreams and make them wealthy or even get a happy immortal life, if they burned themselves at the right time and in the right place. Many students as well as their parents believed these rumors and pseudoscience, which resulted in huge and destructive losses. They got to the Tianan Square in Beijing to burn themselves for the Western Paradise. Many people including students absolutely died from the pseudoscience. This tragedy is resulted from the unlimited free speech. If there were no free speech, maybe the tragedy would not happen.
Also, free speech is easy to make people deliver insulted words without any limitations. There is an example of free speech, which caused people to think about deeply. Richard Berthold, a professor of University of New Mexico, played a joke about the “911” in his historical class, saying: “The person, who can explode the Pentagon, can win my vote in the end.” The joke, however, gave rise to a great disturbance later. In the next several weeks, the professor had been attacked by the local broadcast and the conferences of New Mexico, and he himself got suspension for one semester. Ironically, the professor is a conservative. He confessed later that his joke was so stupid that he deserved being attacked. People said that the professor did not have any limitations to speak and used some insulted words in the public occasion. Today, many people always hold the weapon of free speech and abuse words at random. They always use some words to attack their surrounding people, and thus make more and more conflicts. When people criticize those who abuse the right of free speech, they contradict that they have the right of free speech.
In spite of these problems, free speech is very beneficial and necessary for the development of society as well. Free speech can be an important way and tool to share ideas. As an old saying goes, “one has two apples at the same time if he or she exchanges with each other.” The saying stresses the importance of sharing things with others, which cannot leave out of the free speech. As is known to us, Microsoft company turns into one of the biggest company in the world from a small office in a short time. The company’s success cannot leave without a good atmosphere of free speech. In this company, every one is free to speak ans tell their own thoughts without any limitations. What is more, the employees can speak directly to their boss, play joke with them, or even quarrel with their bosses for the discussions of problems. They have no limitations in the company and enjoy relaxed work environment. In such free and enjoyable environment, many new ideas come out from the company every day, and the company grows day by day.
Meanwhile, free speech is a significant way to pursue and acquire truth at the campus. Truth that is given free wings can be expressed and delivered and thus given the life. The college is the Utopia of knowledge, and we cannot imagine what it will be if no free speech is permitted. In September of 2010, one lecturer in the University of California Los Angeles discussed one issue about racial segregation with her colleague by email. However, the email was exposed with the title of “America: Good Neighbour” to the public with no reasons, and many critiques on this issue have been diversified immediately. She was suspended to teach for two weeks, because she was said that her speech made some threats to race, religion and the relevant colleagues mentioned in the email. However, her email did not mention anyone’s name. Luckily, she was cleared in the end and her two-week salary was returned as well. Seeing this example, I felt very surprised and a little bit frightened, because such the limitations for the free speech largely did harm to the communications and development of academy.
Generally speaking, to diversify campus life, it is necessary and beneficial to promote free speech on campus, though the free speech may lead to some bad results to some extent. Just as mentioned above, the promotion for free speech can be an effective and important way and tool to share ideas to make social progress. Free speech make people share ideas more easily and effectively, which benefits the development and growth of both academy and enterprise. In addition, the pursuit and acquisition of truth cannot leave out of free speech. If the free speech of the college Utopia is limited largely, the development of academy would stop and never go out of the end, as we can see the example mentioned above. However, there are negative results of free speech as well. Free speech would become a tool of bad people to deliver rumors and bewitch the innocent students. Meanwhile, the pseudoscience or antiscience would utilize the free speech to linger around the pure campus.

However, free speech cannot be banned just because of the disadvantages above, as free speech have more advantages than disadvantages and is more beneficial for people compared with its negative influences. Free speech deserves being promoted under the condition of good guide. For example, the relevant authorities should make specific laws and regulations to distinguish the boundary line of free speech. Meanwhile, colleges should make some announcement around the campus about the free speech. As for the students, students themselves should try to learn some relevant knowledge and master the skills of distinguishing what are good or bad.

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