Living in America, we are indoctrinated, from birth, to live and breathe by the code that makes us American. This freedom we are all guaranteed. The freedom to express ourselves without limit. However, in the communication world, we are exposed to many limits that are actually put into place. For one, the Supreme Court may defend their right to censor an act due to the wide-ranging umbrella listed under Time, Place and Manner Restrictions. What this means is that the Supreme Court can limit expression for these three reasons and these three reasons only. Why does this matter? Well, it matters because it shows that we are essentially free to express ourselves no matter the content. Yes, there is the omnipotent FCC that controls what material we see or hear on the airwaves, however, other than this medium, restrictions are few and far between.
It’s very cool for me to realize that the Supreme Court has often defended very distasteful acts in order to preserve this freedom guaranteed in our country’s constitution. When an act or phrase is offensive to some, it may be the view of another. To me, this is an essential detail because if we were censored solely on the idea of offensive behavior, we would be held to the fire based on the morality of a few. At least with such a pragmatic judgement force in place, we can feel free to say how we truly feel no matter who we offend. As long as we do it in the right Place at the right Time in a Manner that allows for expression.