Do we take Freedom of Speech too far?

Anthony Lewis writes in “Freedom For the Thought That We Hate-A Biography of the First Amendment”, that we live in “an age of exposure” and discusses the “crushing of privacy in the name of [free speech]”. Lewis suggests that the balance between privacy and freedom has tipped too far toward freedom. I however, disagree.

In all matters of free speech that are being debated: the issue of privacy being invaded due to free speech, hate speech being protected by the first amendment, etc., it is important to look at how alternative rulings on the matter would affect the interpretation of the First Amendment. If the laws were changed it would be very difficult to set the criteria for matters such as privacy and hate speech. The definition of hate speech could be stretched to include any negative comments on our government, taking us back to colonial era struggles. Stricter privacy laws would greatly affect our news and how much the public is informed of. While yes, I don’t think photographers need to be sneaking around in the bushes of celebrities to publish embarrassing photos of them, I consider the flip side to be much worse. Imagine that due to privacy laws the names of sex offenders in your area could not be released for the general public to know. It would be difficult to define what could and could not be kept private.

In 2002 Lord Chief Justice Woolf set aside an injunction obtained by a football player to keep a tabloid from publishing details of his affairs with two women. Woolf later expressed the importance of judges not censoring information merely because it offends them. Commenting on his verdict Woolf said, “a man who indulges in multiple affairs cannot complain if one of the women kisses and tells.” This particular case reminds me that in many cases in which people are suing for publication of intimate or embarrassing facts, those facts are usually considered so due to a flaw in their moral character or an error in their judgment. Of course this is not the case in all privacy issues, such as the case of William Sidis or The Hill family, but when the matter is the fault of the plaintiff I feel no remorse in its publication.

Additionally the notion of privacy is an odd one in our society today. It takes me about ten seconds to log onto Facebook and find out what town a person is from, what schools they have been to, where they have worked, their family members’ names, where they vacation, etc. My Twitter feed is constantly updating me on where people are, what they are doing, and what they think. These social media channels aren’t only providing me with this information about my friends and peers, but also about people I may have only exchanged one conversation with, perhaps not even that. With our wired in society it is hard to believe that any matter could be kept private for long.

I can clearly see Lewis’s point about us living in an age of exposure, and cases similar to those of William Sidis or of the Hill family do still make me question how privacy cases are decided. However, considering the alternative stances that could be taken, the nature of many privacy cases today, and the copious amounts of personal information that our society chooses to share with the world, I cannot say I think that the balance has been tipped too far.

Hsmason.wordpress.com

Check out my new dating blog, Trial and Error at hsmason.wordpress.com!

About:

The entertainment industry thrives on the failures and successes of dating. Going through my iTunes, about 90% of my music library is devoted to songs about love, I am a devoted fan of cheesy romantic comedies, and my bookshelf is loaded down with stories of any relationship imaginable.

It’s no wonder that the media devotes so much time and attention to this subject, because really, it’s one that everyone is constantly trying to figure out. Whether it’s the single girl looking for love or the married man trying to keep his marriage strong, questions always arise.

Maybe I’ve just always been way too big a fan of Carrie Bradshaw’s fictional blog on relationships, but I’d like to think I can give my voice to some of these questions just as well as the Sex star can.

Thus with this blog, Trial and Error, I begin my attempts.

Feel free to send any questions, comments, stories, or anecdotes to my email address, Helen.mason@drake.edu.

Enjoy!

3 Must-See Destinations in London

Home to almost eight million people, the location for countless movies and the birthplace of Harry Potter, London can seem a formidable opponent to the average traveler. These three destinations will make any tourist want to skip that flight home, and become a resident of the city that is “the Big Smoke”.

1) Camden Market-

Camden Market puts New York City’s Canal Street to shame. Selling designer knock-offs right alongside the works of upcoming designers, the market contains anything your heart could desire, as long as you’re willing to look for it. If you can navigate the twisting and turning paths of stalls, you can find unique furniture, hand-made clothing and an impossible array of knick-knacks. The stunning view of Regent’s Canal makes the experience that much more visit-worthy.

2) The Tower of London-

Feel like royalty and visit the 23,578 crown jewels in the jewel house, go through the interactive exhibition of the prisons and torture methods used long ago or take a guided tour given by the Yeoman Warders (royal bodyguards). Leave plenty of time for these activities, as all of them are included in the price of your admission ticket. When you’re done, don’t forget to take the standard tourist picture next to the Tower of London Bridge to send home.

3) The Natural History Museum

Traveling around London isn’t cheap; so take advantage of any free activities, a great one being the Natural History Museum. Open everyday, the museum boasts an impressive exhibit of 14 dinosaur skeletons, a gorgeous mineral gallery displaying crystals and gemstones and a frighteningly realistic exhibit of Earth’s potential demise. Finish the day like a true Brit with tea and scones in the museum’s café.

While one could spend year after year in London and not completely discover everything the city has to offer, these three stops will give you enough tales, photos and facts to enthrall your friends with a journey well traveled.

New “Power of Print” Ads Trash Talk Internet

When I first saw the new Magazines: The Power of Print ads last spring, they gave me hope. In the world of a magazine major, where I am constantly told by my parents and non-journalism student peers that magazines are dying, the ads were a nice reminder that readers do still enjoy the glossy, tangible print versions of magazines.

Additionally, the collaboration between Conde Nast, Hearst Magazines,Meredith Corporation, Time Inc. and Wenner Media was inspiring. To see the heads of competing publications working together to save an industry I want to work in sent to me, as well as to the general public a message; magazines are here to stay. According to MultiVu, a PR newswire company, “With the full support of the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), the campaign targets advertisers, shareholders and industry influencers, and seeks to reshape the broader conversation about magazines, challenge misperceptions about the medium’s relevancy and longevity, and reinforce magazines’ important cultural role.”

An older "Power of Print" ad

The ads have indeed started this conversation. However, the tone of this conversation has changed with the “Power of Print” ads that just came out. Featuring, a woman laying in a hammock presumably reading a magazine, the new ads don’t just promote print magazines, but also comment on the drawbacks to the internet. ”They (print magazines) don’t show video or deliver pop up ads out of nowhere,” the new ads state.

New ads

While, the creators were most likely trying to send the same message as the other advertisements, I found this one to be slightly distasteful. Although I know there is an importance to advocating the longevity of print media, journalists must also accept that the internet has opened up an even wider array of markets and target audiences. Magazine websites that offer additional content, blogs from different publications, iPad versions of publications, and many other web-based versions of content allow magazines to reach many more people than was once possible. I’d like to see the ads go back to merely advocating print, rather than attacking something we need to embrace and utilize.

Do you agree that the new ads have taken a different direction from the previous ones, or are they merely promoting the same message? Do you prefer your content delivered through print or electronically? What are other ways that publishers can advocate print?

Diwali Night

Diwali-at first just a foreign-sounding word, soon became an eye opening experience in a few short hours of celebration and learning.

Wanting to break out of our usual weekend routine, my friend and I recently attended the Southeast Asian Student Association and Malaysian Student Association's collaborative Diwali festival at Drake University. The Hindu holiday, meaning celebration of lights, was celebrated with Southeast Asian cuisine, dancers and a presentation on the meaning of Diwali, as well as on the Shanti Bhavan Children's Project (the benefiting organization from the evening).

Although the evening was a fun break from the monotony of college weekends and a unique cultural exposure for me, my main takeaway was the reminder that all sorts of people with various backgrounds and experiences attend my tiny liberal arts school. I've found that going to a small school makes it far too easy to make generalizations about people. We go to classes and see the same people everyday; we go to parties and talk to familiar people and spot them downtown, wave because we've had at least one conversation with them. But just because we see these people all the time, doesn't mean we actually know them. We don't know their fears, hopes, or hidden trials.

Diwali showed me that maybe some of these guys aren't just the fratty boys I see out. Maybe that frat guy cares about his family in the same way I do, maybe he has a culture completely different from my own, or maybe he's passionate about something I've never seen him do. As I watched one of my sorority sisters dance across the stage, her ears adorned with jewelry and wearing a colorful sari, I was struck once again with the fact that I don't really know her. She isn't another random Drake student, but someone I eat dinner with, share secret rituals with, and she has a whole separate life just like I do.

I don't know why I never came to this realization before. I know how frustrated I get when people think they know me: a sorority girl with a 4.0, someone that loves to have fun as much as I study, the girl on campus always in a skirt. But little do they know that I've suffered heartache, lost a parent, raised myself and come out on the other side a little broken, but strong. It saddens me that I could generalize people in such a hypocritical fashion.

So I got more out of Diwali than buttered chicken. I was reminded to open my eyes and get to know the people around me, because a liberal arts education could give me much more than a bachelor's degree.

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

(Photo courtesy of blissfullydomestic.com)

Neil Sedaka had it right; breaking up is hard to do. Whether you’re the dump-er or the dump-ee, hurt is bound to follow.

The Dump-er

Although it may seem like the easier position of the two, no one likes hurting people (at least if you’re a good person you don’t).

I recently read an article on collegecandy.com about the etiquette of breaking up. Miss Manners offered these tips:

-Break up face to face

-Avoid using clichés

-Don’t say, “I love you” unless you actually mean it

-Don’t hook up/get caught with another guy too soon

Her overall rule, though, and the most important: Be Respectful.

No matter what this guy has done to you, leave with the upper hand. Be the classy mature woman you would want to be remembered as.

My own tip for breaking up is to wait out your decision for a bit. In the days following a break-up, you may desperately miss that person. After being with them for so long, you may come to realize how much time you spent with them and may no longer know how to fill it. And in today’s world, grabbing your cell phone, or communicating via Facebook with your ex is all too easy...don’t! While you may miss them for now, wait at least two weeks before taking any action. That way you can decide if you really miss them as a person, or if you just miss companionship in general.

The Dump-ee

My hard and fast rule for breaking up: You get two days to wallow, two weeks to be sad, and then go on with your life as usual. If he broke up with you, he obviously couldn’t see all the wonderful things you had to offer, or perhaps you just weren’t compatible. Move on!

Romanceforeveryone.com gives their tips on moving on:

-Figure out who is in your support network

-Remove reminders of the relationship

-Minimize contact with your ex

-Don’t start dating immediately

-Hang out with your single friends

My number one pet peeve about people who have just broken up is reading all about it on Facebook or Twitter. Don’t feel the need to update everyone on your friends list about your feelings via status updates!

No matter what, remember things happen for a reason. Dating is all trial and error, and eventually, things will work out for the best.

Thinking Outside the Dating Box

I was a high school cliché, a cheerleader dating the all-American football player. But at a high school of 400 kids, almost every guy played football. Even the theater guys played football. Never once would I say I had a “type.” I dated bad boys, class clowns, guys who could sing and guys who could shoot a bow and arrow.

But after coming to college, I realized a lot of girls do seem to date the same type of guys, each one almost a paper-doll cutout of the next. I learned a new vocabulary word when my friend got called a “jersey-chaser” because she had a thing for athletes. I also have a friend who only seems to be attracted to guys of one fraternity. So what does that make her, a “letter-chaser”? There are also those almost incestuous groups that continuously hook up with different people from their clique of friends or people on their dorm floor (floor-cest).

So is it good to have a type, to know what you want and to go for it? Or, does it rule out people that could potentially be a perfect fit? I tend to agree with the latter for one reason: picky eaters. I hated eating anything green when I was little. Corn and carrots were fine, but a green bean was repulsive. A few years down the line, and I actually find myself craving fresh salads and broccoli after one too many Spike’s burritos.

Either way, vegetables or guys, you don’t know what you like until you try out a variety of types. Carrot after carrot can be great, but you may be missing out on a really tasty cucumber.

Not to mention, most of us are in our early 20s, the age where we have no clue what we want. I can barely pick out what skirt to wear each day, let alone what I want out of a relationship. We all know at least one person that has changed their major about eight times. I think it’s safe to say our “types” will change as time goes on. If I end up 40 and single, a Samantha-type girl from “Sex and the City,” then maybe I will consider narrowing down my interests to a “type.”

Next weekend when you’re hanging out at the same frat house as every other weekend, try thinking more about that cute non-greek guy. Maybe that guy you see hanging out in FAC all the time can make you laugh harder than anyone else on the field. Make yourself a vegetable medley and discover what else is out there.

http://www.timesdelphic.com/2010/10/03/thinking-outside-the-dating-box