Assignment 5b | Freedom of speech

Indledning
We consider the freedom to speak as a necessity in our well-developed society. As a human right, even. But what if people say something that we don’t like? Something offensive?

In Brendan O’Neill’s speech performed at Oxford Union, it is elucidated how certain subjects that are considered offensive is monitored and policed by leaders at university campuses in the UK.

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Uddrag
Brendan O’Neill’s speech “Freedom of Speech and Right to Offend” is structured by a direct beginning. Considering that the subject and theme of the speech is already known -

Freedom of Speech and Right to Offend was the name of a series of debates at The Oxford Union Society – he does not have to address the theme to the audience.

Instead, O’Neill begins by introducing 3 historical events, relevant to the issue of free speech. After this, he presents his point of view with the sentence:

“So when today’s student leaders clamp down on offensive stuff, they are actually carrying on a very long tradition –

a tradition whereby the crème de la crème of British society take it upon themselves to police the parameters of acceptable thought and to exclude offensiveness from the academy.” (p.1 l.21-23)

suggesting, hat banning and censoring the right to offend in universities is a negative measure. O’Neill then leads toward the middle of his speech by continuing to develop his argument, that offensiveness is necessary for a better society.

He then names 3 other historical events, which creates a pattern of a clear structured speech. The conclusion of the speech is formulated as a request for action;

“Anyone who cares for freedom, anyone who believes that humanity only progresses through being daring and disrespectful, now has a duty to rile and stir and outrage.

A duty to break out of the new…” (p.3 l. 73-75) To support his arguments, Brendan O’Neill uses allusions as a form of intertextuality. An example of this can be found on page 1 line 4-6, where the speaker refers to John Wycliffe.

There is also an allusion to Percy Bysshe Shelley (p.1 l. 8-11), the gay magazine “The Chameleon (p.1 l.16-17), Copernicus (p.2 l. 33-34), John Wilkes (p.2 l. 35-37), and the newspaper “Gay News” (p.2 l. 38-41).

These allusions are all a linguistic device that supports O’Neill’s argument in favor of the right to offend. In all of these cases and historical events, things that were considered offensive at the time had a positive impact on society.