Freedom of Speech

Recently in the news we have been hearing a lot about the Charlie Hebdo cartoon incident. In brief, this incident occurred in France when the French satirical weekly magazine published an article that depicted a cartoon illustration of the prophet Muhammad. In Muslim religion it is against their religion to depict their prophet Muhammad, so when the weekly magazine published their article an uproar began. Attacks were made on the people involved with the magazine leaving some dead, and many injured. What this issue is really about is if we as humans should be allowed the freedom of speech even if it means talking down upon, judging, or disrespecting different religions. I believe that there is no correct answer to this controversy. Every person is going to have their own opinion about this. In my own opinion I believe that yes, we should have freedom of speech, but to some degree. I was watching TV this week and I can’t remember who said it, but it stuck in my head. They were reflecting on freedom of speech and said that if someone was making fun of their own mother they would give them a punch in the face. Now, I personally would never punch someone in the face, but you get the point. The point is that you shouldn't go around disrespecting each other, whether it be about one’s family, or religion. There is a fine line to freedom of speech. In my opinion, we should all be granted the freedom of speech as long as we don't cross any lines. Personally I believe that it was wrong of the Charlie Hebdo Magazine to illustrate Muhammad, but on the other hand the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo were also wrong. If this were to happen again, there could be some sort of repercussion for disrespecting one’s faith, but killing should not be the punishment. Again, there is no right answer to solve this controversy, and many people have different opinions about the whole thing. Culture will shape your beliefs and your psychological processes, which is the reason why there is no correct response to this. Each person’s own culture will shape their attitudes to this situation.