Free speech, one of the most highly-debated over topics in our country today. But what does free speech actually mean? The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of what is known as “symbolic speech”. This allows any person, to make a symbolic gesture provided it does not cause harm, is intended to cause harm, or provokes harm towards another individual or group of individuals. Some of the most outlying examples of symbolic speech is the practice of burning the American Flag.

Now personally, I believe one hundred percent in the tolerance of free speech. I believe that everyone has the right to do and say as they please, provided it does not bring harm to themselves or others. This, to me, is the very idea of freedom, your freedom to choose what you wish to do with your life. But that does not mean in any way, shape, or form that I condone the desecration of the American flag (I go deeper into this in another article of mine). I was once in a conversion with someone about this topic. I brought up the ever popular line “Although I wholly disapprove of what you say, I will fight to my death your right to say it.” and the person I was debating continued to bring up how he didn’t understand that just because I didn’t agree with something didn’t mean I wanted them to be arrested or punished. Now don’t get me wrong, if I see you in the street burning my flag, I can guarantee you get a few lickings, but I don’t believe that the government has any right to restrict someone’s ability to express their opinion because it offends someone.

Which brings me to my next point, the mental weakness of this generation. One of the things that really angers me is that people will get their feelings hurt over everything. And what do they do about it? They complain, they tattletail, and frankly it’s getting old. Now as we’ve grown as a nation we’ve become more tolerant of “foul language”. However, in my opinion, not tolerant enough. Now when I’m in the appropriate environment, I curse like a sailor. However I also recognize that there is a time and a place. The idea of foul language has been ruined by people who don’t understand what a filter is. If you are in a job interview, it’s generally not a good idea to go blasting off F-bombs while you answer the questions. But it’s absolutely okay to talk however you want in a casual setting where your time is yours. I understand that these words are intended to be rude, and some people may not like them, but if that is the case they need to move past it and accept that not everything in life goes your way.

The intolerance of outspoken language is a very sensitive topic (one which I’m not afraid to explore deeply). Particularly in schools, you are always told that you are not allowed to say certain things, which is understandable…. To a point. When children are younger their minds are very impressionable, however as they grow, these things begin to stick. If you try to tell a rebellious teenager they can’t do something, what do you think is gonna happen? There is absolutely no point in trying to enforce a rule that you just can’t. Which is why schools instead should adopt a policy that promotes the “Time and Place” rule. You may ask that students do not use foul language, but it won’t stop them if they really want to. I know that I myself do it all the time, despite reprimands. Which also ties into another issue, the students don’t follow the instructions they are given to them because they don’t respect the teachers and administrators. But this does NOT mean that they should.

Now I’m not saying that disrespect is acceptable, but whenever I hear a teacher say the word “respect” is really gets on my nerves. Because the word that teachers should be using is professionalism, not respect. Respect is earned, not given. Everyone has had a teacher who expects you to respect them on day one, even though they have done nothing to earn it. There is absolutely no reason that you HAVE to respect someone you just met, its not, and should not be required. What should be present in students, however, is professionalism. Professionalism implies that the student will act as they would during a semi-formal occasion, such as a job interview. They will follow instructions and do what is asked of them, however it does not mean that they have to respect the teacher. Respect is defined as an admiration for someone, however it goes much deeper than that. Respecting someone is very similar to a bond of trust. If you respect a person, you would trust them with your life in their hands, they may be your best friend, or a mentor. Respect brings with it a lot of requirements, you believe in their integrity, you understand their moral code, you don’t have to agree with them on everything, but you agree with the way they convey it.

In short, freedom of speech is whatever you want it to be, with only one rule: No harm may come to other people. Whether or not you believe in burning the American flag, or you just plain hate your principal and want someone (or everyone) to know about it, it is absolutely up to you to voice your opinion in any way you choose.