Free Speech -- Liberty Rights Papers Internet Censorship

Free Speech Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation essential begin by subduing the excessness of speech. These words were spoken by Benjamin Franklin, one of our nations founding fathers, when the United States was still a newly autonomous country. Free speech, which is defined as the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint by the government, is a pillowcase that is still present in the minds of many people today. At one extreme of the spectrum is a group of folks that do not care the slightest mo about free speech issues and at another end is a group of people who will vehemently fight to protect their right to free speech. In a middle ground, like most peoples stance, lay a large group of individuals who only take notice and take action regarding a great deal(prenominal) issues when they become personally affected. Only when a person is confronted directly with someone or something that limits their actions or ability to express themse lves do they begin to realize upright how much they take the right to free speech for granted. And not only is free speech threatening issues go more common today, but the maturate at which individuals come across these threats to free speech is getting even younger. It is starting quite early for todays children as they are becoming well acquainted with perhaps the most widespread but least recognized threat to our free speech, internet content filters. According to the Computer Professionals for sociable Responsibilitys (CPSR) Frequently Asked Questions on filtering, a content filter is one or more pieces of software that work together to prevent users from conceive material found on the Internet and is described by the Electronic Frontier Foundation as a software mechanism for... ...ob at really restricting access to inappropriate material and rather do a much better job at blocking beneficial resources. First and first the issue of government-imposed internet content blo cking must be addressed. Once a solution to that has been applied, then the use of filters in general can be tackled. The solution to this can best be summed up by the following quote from the National Research Councils book, Youth, Pornography, and the Internet, Swimming pools can be grave for children. To protect them, one can install locks, put up fences, and deploy pool alarms. All these measures are helpful, but by far the most historic thing that one can do for ones children is to teach them to swim. Once parents address the issues through communication with their children, there will be much less of a need for the filtering software on the market today.