It was rewritten in the English Bill of Rights in 1689 which legally established the constitutional right of freedom of speech in Parliament. This meant that Parliamentarians were free to speak up in the House without fear of legal action. The American Revolution against Britain is when a big discussion came to be about individual rights and the role of governments. This all started with a long debate over what laws from the 1st Amendment would be placed into the Bill of Rights. “After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787” (Wikipedia 1st Amendment). Many Framers, including James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, argued that the Constitution itself provided adequate protection for individual liberties; they believed that “the government can only exert the powers specified by the Constitution” (National Archives). Anti federalists such as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Samuel Adams insisted that without safeguards the government could abuse their power, they believed that the bill of rights was …show more content…
Texas v. Johnson reaffirmed the broad scope of protected expression under the First Amendment, even in cases where the speech is deeply offensive or controversial. The ruling clarified that the government cannot suppress speech based on its content or viewpoint, and that individuals have the right to engage in symbolic acts of protest, even if they offend widely held sensibilities. Currently around the world there are still issues with freedom of speech. Florida lawmakers are trying to advance bills that will prevent schools from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity. Which I believe is unfair because if students are struggling with this type of topic, a teacher at their school might be the only person in their life that they are comfortable with. Another issue going on is that nearly a dozen states have introduced bills that would direct students to what they can and cannot learn about the role of slavery in America and the ongoing effects that racism has