Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Express Yourself csu eng1a 97/100 Try to imagine your life without your favorite music. Imagine a world in which our government dictates what we can and cannot listen to in the privacy of our own homes. In some countries this reality exists; however, in the United States, we have the right to free speech, as mandated by the first amendment. As a result, most people believe that as Americans we can say or listen to anything we choose. According to Paul D. Fischer in his article titled “What if They Gave a Culture War and Nobody Came,” the Supreme Court deemed that there are three areas of speech that fall outside first amendment protection; they are, speech that is obscene, causes harm to minors, or incites crimes (1). As a result, free speech is limited and often times censored in this gray area created by the Supreme Court. Since a significant portion of popular music uses controversial lyrics, it often becomes a target of censor advocates. I agree that, under the guidelines of the Supreme Court, people should be held responsible for the consequences of what they say; however, I do not think that musical expression should be limited by any of the exceptions to free speech. Because music is not fully protected by