Should we allow freedom of speech or restrain it?

Brice Danvide
EAP 2 Writer’s Workshop
Mr. Leverett
Summary Response

Should we allow freedom of speech or restrain it?

In the BBC News article by Jo Twist (2005), “Controversy blights UN net summit”, the author wrote about how governments can control the Internet. This summit took place in Tunis. China’s vice president was arguing about to putting restrictions online for the internet. This summit was a big issue because people that represented each country all over the world were trying to help the less developed countries in some ways. They realize that there wasn’t enough funds to help the poor countries benefit and have access to free information on the internet. We should have freedom of speech because it can help prevent war, increase knowledge and allow the discovery of the truth.

We should have freedom of speech because it can help prevent war in a country. Freedom of speech is very useful in today’s world because in a country where they do not have this system of free speaking, the country is usually under a dictatorship system. It means people are not allowed to express their feelings. People are terrified, and it brings war and revolt in the country. For example in North Korea, they still on a dictatorship system and it is not really easy for them and their population. But a country where they have this system where people can express their opinions and their feelings, the country is opened to democracy. It can help prevent war in a way that people will not revolt against the government or nobody, the country will be at peace and people will understand each other through talking. For example, in Chile, they are still running a dictatorship system and tensions are rising in the country, because people are feeling locked up and want freedom. In today’s world we can not do anything without speaking; that’s why freedom of speech is important in preventing war.

In addition, we should have freedom of speech, because it can increase knowledge. If we have a country based on democracy and people are allowed to express themselves, then it could bring a good understanding of people having access to information. People will be able to have access to information anywhere in the world and gain knowledge by themselves. Having most of the population well educated is a gain for a country because development will take place and the country will be able to spread itself with an increasing economy. Knowledge is something that you acquire with experience; it is important to have knowledge because the future will rely on the experience that you have and what you are able to offer to the society. For example, Benin, my country, is a democratic country where everybody has the right to express their opinion. Even if my country is a less developed country, we are still developing because our population is getting instructed and basically our economy is increasing. So that’s why knowledge is important to a country to get developed and access to information will surely help people acquire it by themselves.

Finally, we should have freedom of speech because it can allow the discovery of the truth. According to Charles Bralaugh (2002, para 2), “without free speech no search for the truth is possible….no discovery of truth is useful…Better a thousand fold abuse of free speech than denial of free speech…” Discovery of the truth means finding the truth through freedom of speech. For example at a court when judges try to find the truth when there is a murder, they use to find the truth through speaking and by analyzing facts. Without those two elements, they will not be able to judge anyone if any case comes to them. Truth is important in our society and people who are on the bad side and always commit crime are forced to tell the truth. The discovery of the truth also goes along with freedom of speech. Our society is based on truth and you can not fool the law because it is already established and we have to follow it. It is also the gain of our civilization; it is how we see the perception of truth and the critical thinking of what make sense. The discovery of the truth is a continuous process that never ends up but it is also the result of logic because without logic you can not find the truth.

Freedom of speech is very important in today’s world. It shows how humans can express their feelings and their emotion and what makes humans very particular. I think the less developed country should benefit from the access to the Internet without restriction. The gap between the poorer country and the rich country does not have to be a problem for the less developed countries because it is with free initiative and free access to technology that the less developed countries will develop themselves.

References

Bradlaugh,C. (2001, Nov.22). Campus Needs True Free Speech. Watch in the Media. Retrieved March 24 2008, from http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/363

Twist, J. (2005, November 18). Controversy blights UN net Summit. BBC News Retrieved March 19, 2008, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4450474.stm