Introduction
Free speech is essential in the community for expressing one’s opinions, thoughts, convictions, and beliefs. Furthermore, free speech permits individuals to genuinely engage in democracy and the development of society by discussing problems that impact citizens’ regular lives frankly and publicly without fear. However, excessive freedom of expression in some circumstances is highly destructive to the country, and the government restricts freedom of speech in such situations by regulations that must be followed. This essay, therefore, justifies why the government or the community limits freedom of speech through regulations and address counterclaim for the restriction.
Discussion
The government may limit people’s freedom of speech if their remarks or writing style endangers national security. This provocation might be intended to split the country and push it into a fierce fight to overthrow the government. In such cases, the law allows for the deprivation of one’s right to free speech if it would endanger the citizen’s and government’s existence. According to Oleksiyenko and Jackson (2020), during times of war, the government may limit how much information the media provides on force deployment and keep it secret. This is critical since the administration would want to remain unnoticed by the primary enemy, whose main goal is to capture the country’s boundaries. Furthermore, Arthur (2021) educates that various governments have overused the concept of “national security” to shield themselves from public criticism throughout history. This has become an issue today, and many people wonder if restricting free speech in the name of national security has any relevance in the modern world.
Conclusion
Finally, restrictions on free expression imposed by the government or society have a crucial impact. As described in this article, national security is critical during times of emergency. If not carefully monitored, propaganda and incitement can lead to conflict in society, resulting in massive losses. Even if some research indicates that national security has been exploited to conceal dirty government dealings, curbing freedom of expression at such times is vital to defend government operations and restore societal peace.
References
Arthur, J. (2021). Campus Warsmulticulturalism and The Politics of Difference. Routledge.
Oleksiyenko, A. V., & Jackson, L. (2020). Freedom of speech, freedom to teach, freedom to learn: The crisis of higher education in the post-truth era. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 53(11), 1–6.