Freedom of Expression, Speech and Right to Privacy - Assignment Example

In democratic society freedom of expression, speech, right to privacy is an inalienable right up to a certain point such as when it comprises national security. Each nation-state has its own set of limitations or restrictions placed on these freedoms. Compared to other democratic nations do you think that the US government lives up to its own first amendment law Freedom of expression, speech and right to privacy may be limited in situations where practising them could breach the peace or even lack of respect to the reputations and rights of other people.

It is significant to note that the first amendment does not guard statements pronounced to insult, incite people to do an illegal action, or provoke violence. In addition, the U.S law prohibits utterance of words that aim to promote religious, racial or any kind of discrimination that might lead to violence and hostility. It is against the law for a person to behave in a certain manner otherwise in private if the behavior did due to national or racial origin of the other party. Such an act that aims to insult, intimidate, offend, or injure other people is prohibited by the law. 2. What constitutes “obscenity” differs in many nation-states when it comes to pornographic and obscene materials.

Do you think that moral-religious censorship laws in non-western societies and freedom of expression in western societies can co-exist in the global village of today? Is there something in the foreign culture that can benefit or lead to the improvement of our own system?According to the U.S constitution, obscenity is defined in reference to the Miller v California case decided in 1973. Therefore, obscenity refers to a situation where the work shows or explains, in a patently offensive manner, sexual conduct defined by law.

Further, obscenity involves a situation where the work described lacks serious scientific, political, literary, or artistic value. U.S states treat pornographic materials as obscene because they contain sexually explicit materials that go against societal moral standards. It is rational to understand that “Half of the obscene materials available on the internet comes from outside the U.S and is thus prohibited by law” (Huffman & Trauth, 99).