Under the rights for United States citizens stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution, Americans are guaranteed the right to free speech. To some, the amendment is interpreted to mean citizens should be able to say whatever they want whenever they want, regardless of the repercussions. This right to free speech is what protects Americans from being suppressed by the government, while also allowing the people as a whole to have a voice, a voice allowing the people to maintain their own opinions and also influence political and social actions in the United States. When one considers limiting free speech, it is assumed limitations would infringe on American's basic rights and prevent citizens from maintaining their own voices. However, in certain situations, limitations of free speech are necessary for basic protection. Based on the necessary protection of United States citizens, both in security and dignity, limits to free speech are justified in public area if the speech poses a clear and present danger, contains a threat, if the speech contains fighting words and in the cases of child pornography. Furthermore, a call-to-action in the free speech is necessary, as a call to action shows that there is a potential action behind that threat, and that the speech is not being used loosely, but rather as a tool to start a rise and cause real physical harm to an individual or the United States as a whole, because that speech would then be interfering with the free speech and life of the other individual in harms way.
When considering whether free speech should be limited, it is beneficial to look at present-day situations. In looking at a recent situation at Oklahoma State University, where fraternity members were caught on video singing "There will never be a nigger in SAE," the Oklahoma students argue they were exercising their rights to free speech. The opposing side might argue that the speech posed a threat to African American students on campus.
