Freedom of Speech Essay

Over the last several days in class we’ve seen each of the following:

1. Differing positions on the appropriate role of the university (Yale) in asserting a measure of authority over students’ Halloween costume choices.

2. Recent national conversation in the wake of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia over the proper place of openly white supremacist and/or neo-nazi expressions within American society.

3. The historical foundation of Freedom of Speech as a necessity for the democratic process to function.

4. The conditional recognition of Freedom of Speech throughout American history depending on topic, context, and prevailing attitudes of the time.

Now I want you to use information from all of these topics as EVIDENCE to support a brief argumentative essay responding to the following question:

Should American society consider expressions of white supremacy and/or neo-nazism as protected forms of speech under the 1st Amendment?

This is your first writing task of the year and will serve as a baseline against which to measure future growth in writing essays.  As a reminder, your essay should adhere to each of the following:

- Have a clear thesis that answers the question and takes a position.

- Support your thesis by explaining how you consider the historical EVIDENCE to be in support of your position.

- Use proper writing conventions such as punctuation and paragraphs.

Type your essay and save it to be printed in class later.