It's come to my attention lately that there are actually people at large, even some of them government representatives, that would undermine free speech in North America if given half a chance. If you speak out against the government or the system, watch it. Now, I looked through both the Canadian Charter of Rights and U.S. Constitution and, strangely enough, I can't find anything that remotely resembles "watch it" pertaining to freedom of expression (or anything for that matter). Folks, we're sadly living in a world that, day after day, we're losing more of our basic freedoms and rights in the name of "national security". Think about that for a second... Are we, as a society, ready and willing to trade freedom for security? New laws in Canada, such as The Anti-terrorism Act, and in the U.S., such as the Patriot Act, the Patriot Act Improvement & Reauthorization Act, and the Military Commissions Act of 2006, have promised domestic security from terrorism but in fact have eroded and sacrificed our individual rights and freedoms, ideals that have taken centuries to build and refine through blood, sweat, tears and, most importantly, greater minds than today's contemporary leaders.
This topic is particularly interesting to myself, especially in light of the impact Disinformation Today is already having, because, as a journalist, it's my intention to adhere to the principles of freedom of speech and expression as laid out by both the Canadian Charter of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. The great thing about these prolific documents is that both advocate the very freedom that allows journalists to report the truth without fear of retribution. Our founders believed in the people's right to open government, freedom of speech, and protection from those who wish to undermine such ideals. On that note, although a lot of what I write and advocate, albeit always peaceful, honest and lawful, might indicate negative aspects of modern government but, once again to be certain, that is my right as a journalist. Just as our founders believed, I also strongly feel that our leaders of government, corporations, and politicians should be held accountable for anything they do or don't do to the detriment of society.
Anyway, considering the topic at hand, I wanted post excerpts from the Charter of Rights and Constitution, for those that haven't actually read what their rights of expression entail, to simply reaffirm just what rights we have under laws in North America.
Click to read the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 2(b) which specifically addresses freedom of speech and expressions issues for Canadians. In Canada, these fundamental freedoms were reiterated in the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960, then again in The Constitution Act of 1982.
In the United States, more than in any other country in the free world, the U.S. Constitution guarantees each and every citizen's right to freedom of speech and expression. Click to read exactly what the Constitution says about this critical issue, the 1st Amendment.
If you have any comments about these issues, please feel free to email me directly or post a comment on this blog. These rights and freedoms are the heart and soul of civilization as we know it, and it's our patriotic duty to always be aware and passively fight those who would dare take away what's inherent to all of us.
This topic is particularly interesting to myself, especially in light of the impact Disinformation Today is already having, because, as a journalist, it's my intention to adhere to the principles of freedom of speech and expression as laid out by both the Canadian Charter of Rights and the U.S. Constitution. The great thing about these prolific documents is that both advocate the very freedom that allows journalists to report the truth without fear of retribution. Our founders believed in the people's right to open government, freedom of speech, and protection from those who wish to undermine such ideals. On that note, although a lot of what I write and advocate, albeit always peaceful, honest and lawful, might indicate negative aspects of modern government but, once again to be certain, that is my right as a journalist. Just as our founders believed, I also strongly feel that our leaders of government, corporations, and politicians should be held accountable for anything they do or don't do to the detriment of society.
Anyway, considering the topic at hand, I wanted post excerpts from the Charter of Rights and Constitution, for those that haven't actually read what their rights of expression entail, to simply reaffirm just what rights we have under laws in North America.
Click to read the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Section 2(b) which specifically addresses freedom of speech and expressions issues for Canadians. In Canada, these fundamental freedoms were reiterated in the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960, then again in The Constitution Act of 1982.
In the United States, more than in any other country in the free world, the U.S. Constitution guarantees each and every citizen's right to freedom of speech and expression. Click to read exactly what the Constitution says about this critical issue, the 1st Amendment.
If you have any comments about these issues, please feel free to email me directly or post a comment on this blog. These rights and freedoms are the heart and soul of civilization as we know it, and it's our patriotic duty to always be aware and passively fight those who would dare take away what's inherent to all of us.
1 comment:
Since 9/11 governments around the world have taken away the freedom we all grew up with "to fight terror". I vote no on giving up my freedom to say whatever I want, whenever I want and to go anywhere I want. Fight terrorism by figuring out why they are so pissed off and helpless that they have to resort to terrorism in the first place.
Post a Comment