Essay Title: Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It

Focus Question: Of our American rights and freedoms, which one would you choose to celebrate

and why?

As a colonial territory, the United States found itself in a constant state of oppression

from a country that had dictated its religion, values, expansion, and freedom. At a tipping point,

the colonies viewed this control as a sign of aggression, and vowed to create a land in which

censorship would be impossible. During the formation of the nations constitution, the founding

fathers afforded the citizens of the United States an abundance of rights, which not only

heighten, but also help defend our freedom. The First Amendment right of free speech is by far

the most celebrated and widely known right that Americans hold, and for good reason. While it

may seem that the freedom of speech is used as a means to communicate controversial ideas to

the public, it also serves the purpose of organizing defenses against those who would try to

diminish our rights entirely.

Communication of controversial values and beliefs is historically dangerous. When

change begins to rear its ugly head, violence has the potential to break out. Whether it be in the

Roman Empire, as Christianity began its rise in popularity, or in the Middle East, where a slip of

the tongue can be grounds for losing a tongue, clashing ideas provide no shortage of ill tempers.

Problems truly arise, though, not at the onset of change, but, moreover, when these issues have

no diplomatic platforms to argue upon. I believe the founding fathers knew this, and provided

citizens with the right to free speech as a means to combat this. The Constitution provides any

person, no matter what religion, gender, age, race, or creed, with the ability to voice their

opinion. By doing so, the founding fathers gave us the ability to actively persuade people to
action, and bring about non-violent change. This is the greatest gift any one person can ask for.

The ability to have a single voice spark a movement and ignite change is invaluable to any

democratic nation.

In a democracy, no citizen should ever feel as if they are forced to do something by any

other reason than their own. One such instance, censorship, diminishes the capacity of free

speech. Lately, it has been found that certain government agencies have, without warrant or

cause, tapped into the private communications of citizens. While this may not be direct

censorship, it does hamper the conviction of citizens to speak their minds openly. The ability to

organize a coalition of people towards a common goal can only be achieved by unobstructed

communication between individuals. However, by voicing their opinions and grievances despite

their fears, citizens have pushed court cases through the judiciary system that have forced the

federal government to shut down these operations. If the fact that a few people forced the most

powerful government in the world to shut down its surveillance operations just by voicing their

opinions is not impressive, then I have no idea what is.

There should be no party held in the honor of the right to free speech. Instead, it should

fall on all Americans to cherish this right every day by continually using and protecting it. As

long as we know our rights as Americans, we can live every day in celebration knowing we can

use them to better and protect our way of living.