Freedom of Speech

Week 5 Freedom Of Expression 

               Freedom of expression to me is, being able to say and do what you want within the law and not be prosecuted for it.  In the RIP movie I felt to conflicted between two arguments about how the copyright system is way to overbearing and was especially influenced by Disney to extend it to make sure they could keep the monopoly on Micky and others.  But I also believe that if you create something that it should be yours and yours alone you came up with it by yourself so why should anyone else get to profit off it or use it for themselves without paying you for it.  There was a part in the movie RIP the I could not agree with and that was when the daycare was using Micky and other Disney characters likeness and Disney got made and sued them for it.  I felt that it was a bit much and Also the daycare never said that it was Micky therefor it could have been any mouse and friends.  the copy right law is full of gray areas for me because I feel that you should be able to copyright something indefinitely but I also think that if that was the case throughout history we would never have evolved to where we are now.  Take Henry Ford for example,  he was not the inventor of the Automobile that person was Mr. Benz of Mercedes Benz but if Benz would have had a indefinite patent on their cars like Disney has on their characters then Henry Ford would not have been able to make his own cars to compete with Benz and Dodge and General Motors.  Competition breads innovation.  The biggest over-expression of the first amendment that I can think of was when lil- Wayne and Justin Bieber were during the American Flag and stepping on it.  Even though that is in their full first amendment right to do that It hurt a little to see someone do that.  It is sad but also great to know that we live in a country that does not oppress people who do things that others do not like because if we did it would be a slippery slope that would lead to much oppression.  My take on the whole situation was that it would not be something I would ever do or be okay with but I do see the importance of letting people do it because like I just said if we start to make laws that do not allow this king of speech then soon we will not be able to say anything negative about the country or the leaders of the country.  

                 I think that the action of Wikileaks is a good think.  Just like Edward Snowden These people released information that we as Americans should be informed about such as things that would help up decided who to vote for in the next election or about criminal activity that our leaders are getting themselves into while using us as their financial backers who do not really know where our money is going.  Now I say we have a right to know some things but I also do not think that we have a right to know all things and Wikileaks agrees with this,  as Julian states that some things like the meeting with you doctor is something they would never display for all to see.  I am currently concerned about the USA's freedom of speech mostly due to the standing and kneeling controversy around the NFL and I say this meaning,  our president and others around the country think there should be a punishment for these player who are not standing for the flag.  The president is even encouraging the owners of the football teams to fire these players who kneel.  This kind of talk is very hostile to our freedom of speech beach it just shows how a slippery slope can lead to many other things being illegal to do and say.  This may come off offensive and I do not mean it to be but the men and women who fought for this country and many who died did so, so that we could have the freedom to sit and not honor that flag that is flown above us and if we do not recognize that and believe that is how it should go then we are no longer a free country we are a country ruled by the leaders at the time and what they feel should and should not be acceptable.