Paper Topic:

Proposal for Argument Essay

p Proposal for Argument Essay Proposal for Argument Essay General : Censorship Specific : Free-Speech on College Campuses Thesis Statement The prohibition of hate-speech or any speech which constitutes a clear and present danger ' to students on college campuses is a good and necessary policy Summary of Opinions The issue of free-speech on college campuses poses a complex debate Key factors of the controversy include : the rights to personal safety and free expression , as well as factors of racial and gender tolerance The volatile nature of the issue ensures adjudication at

the highest levels and also a far-reaching historical set of precedents , of which has successfully answered ' the issues of free-speech and civic welfare . It seems prudent that the US Constitution should provide the framework by which all policies of free-speech are reckoned . The First Amendment of the U .S . Constitution states , in part , that "Congress shall make no law . abridging the freedom of speech " This freedom is deemed a fundamental right , because it assures individual self-fulfillment or autonomy (Zingo 17

Zingo discusses how the 1st amendment serves many interests : it is a means of advancing knowledge and searching for truth it gives all members of society an opportunity to participate in the political process of self-governance and it provides a safety valve for society[ .] because suppression of discussion is injurious to society (Zingo ) With that in mind , it is also useful to peruse counter-arguments which posit a more modernist interpretation of the First Amendment . Media-law experts attempt to impose the eighteenth-century ideals of freedom of speech and press on the modern world as if no changes have taken place . Today , First Amendment doctrine assumes that governmental censorship still poses a greater and more real threat to our rational self-governing ideal than self-gratification (Collins , and Skover 25

However , the Constitutional and judicial basis for restrictions on free speech stands far aside from this contention : the Supreme Court ruled on a case challenging speech regulation[ .] question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent It is a question of proximity and degree (Zingo 18

Questions and Rhetorical Strategies

Key questions

1 ) What constitutes "clear and present danger

2 ) What are methods for enforcing legislation

3 ) How have prior Supreme Court first amendment cases been decided

4 ) How to define a hate-crime

Rhetorical strategies

To convince that racism , sexism , and hate-crimes constitute a clear and present danger ' to students on college campuses will require evidence and citation from legal opinions and legal precedent . The "hate-crime " according to preliminary research seems to be a well-established fact , backed by substantive evidence and scientific study . Despite the tremendous strides resulting from civil rights legislation , racism remains one of the most pressing social problems in the US[ .] Hate crimes have been prominent on university campuses for the last two...

3 pages

20.8 KB

Free sing-up