Freedom of Speech    

The Czech Republic vs. The United States

Chris Henry, Jennifer Lemkul, Brian Maher, Max Moldenhauer, Mike Richmond

US Response

The United States government would allow the University’s decision to remove the student’s site. However, there is a plethora of issues and opinions involved, and there definitely is not a homogenous view of this type of case in the United States. The two main issues that people would disagree on are the students’ right to freedom of speech and the unequal punishments given to the different students.

One of the most fundamental rights as an American is freedom of speech, but there remain many limits to this right such as not being able to shout "fire" in a movie theatre. In this case, the United States recognizes the University’s rights over their own property and the ability to control what goes through their networks. Despite this allowance, many complain that it is still an unreasonable infringement on the rights of students.

There is also a common legal practice in the United States to use criminals who have been arrested to help catch other criminals. This plea-bargaining, or “ratting out” as it is negatively referred to, most often results in a reduced sentence, which may have occurred in this case. While it is a common, accepted practice, many Americans still deem it inappropriate, dishonorable, and unfair especially in this case.

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