Freedom of Speech or Plagiarism?

Freedom of Speech or Plagiarism

By Judy Bechtle

This piece is copyrighted by law.

Where does the fine line divide? Or does it divide? Is it two completely differently things?

It came to my attention this week that some really don’t have a clue to what either means. Or for that matter the results that can be racked up in court from crossing the two.

In the First Amendment Congress gave us the right of free speech. The citizens of the U.S.A. had it long before Congress laid ink to parchment, however, but that is as long as you were white. That has changed and now everyone has rights to the First Amendment. Free speech is the right to say what we choose, but not the right to defame another’s reputation, or to expose a minor child to filthy words or pictures among other things you simply can not say. In the U.S.A. we are permitted to speak our thoughts concerning the government’s actions, locally and around the country. This is not so in many other countries. People can call others nasty names and tell any lie they want and get away with it as long as it does not defame their character. That is Freedom of Speech.

Plagiarism is not free speech. Plagiarism is taking, or hijacking as in the case of taking it from the Internet, and claiming it as your writing or work. This is against the law and can result with a date in court in front of a judge. In this case leave your jewels at home and/or bring your checkbook. You won’t be walking out as you came in. Plagiarists come in all shapes and sizes and ages. They range from a stressed out school kid that didn’t want, or have time to do a report, to a person that was incapable of writing an intelligent article on their own, to an old aged person that might be trying to do the right thing but doesn’t have an ability to so much as write a letter. So these people steal the work of others and claim it as their own. Does having good intentions make it right? No. Plagiarism is still stealing the same as if they removed jewelry from a store. Plagiarism of the written word or a created art piece falls under the same law. It is stealing. Punishable in a court of law.   

There is no fine line between Freedom of Speech and Plagiarism. It doesn't divide and they are totally different. One is semi legal and the other is completely illegal.