Rachel+S’s+2015+OpEd+Article



** Freedom of Speech ** ** Freedom of Abuse **

Freedom of speech. We’re all entitled to it. After all, it’s written in ink by our founding fathers in the constitution. However, it wasn't written for citizens to abuse and take advantage of. It’s probably one of our most important rights as citizens and also the most abused one. Just because you have the right to say something doesn't mean you should. The point of including freedom of speech in our first amendment was to make sure that our voices wouldn't be muted; that our opinions wouldn't be suppressed; that we would be allowed to voice our disapproval when dissatisfied. However, the meaning behind it has been twisted and turned by the public and spewed out into our society as a justification for conjectures or slander. It has been manipulated in the same way as our second amendment that allows Americans to bear guns (in a well regulated militia), but I won’t go into that. Verbally abusing individuals without concrete reasons behind it shouldn’t be justified with freedom of speech. Yes, you are entitled to your own opinions, but you can’t use your first amendment as a weapon to belittle others just because you feel like it. Under the law, you technically are. But it’s also an unspoken rule that people shouldn’t just go around insulting others without a real foundation that’s not just based on a dislike of them or a sole purpose of forming disputes.

With the ability to cloak your identity online, it’s easy to remain anonymous and berate someone on the Internet. While you are within the law to do so, you are gradually losing empathy. People who verbally abuse others without a justifiable reason behind it are often called “trolls” and they remain anonymous. They do it out of the sake of starting drama and conflict. When someone retaliates, the “troll” often uses the age old justification of “I’m entitled to freedom of speech so I can say what I want.” You are shedding an awful light on one of our most significant rights as citizens and taking it for granted. Those kinds of people irritate me to no end because:


 * 1) They’re hiding behind their screen so that they can remain anonymous and hurt others without seeing the actual effect in person
 * 2) They’re abusing their privileges and rights in the Constitution
 * 3) They’re cowards

The purpose of our first amendment isn’t for you to call someone “fat, stupid, and ugly” just because you feel like it. The founding fathers were trying to ensure our rights as citizens so that if the time came when the government gained too much control, that we as citizens would be able to protest against it and not be silenced. I find it despicable that some people would abuse their privileges to bash on others. If you’re verbally abusing others just for the sake of hurting others and starting conflict, then you need to reevaluate the real meaning of the first amendment and comes to terms with what you’re doing to others. Next time you want to justify an insult made to hurt someone with freedom of speech, just remember that there are countries in the world where citizens aren't granted the same privileges as you do. Particularly freedom of speech and they’re are forced to keep silent about the corruptions that go on in their own government. Don’t shed a negative light on an important right just because of your own selfish agenda.