Free Speech Forum Mini Project
In this project students were asked to express what is important to us about free speech in America. We were asked to find and bring in a 'piece' of free speech, which can be anything (songs, poems, cartoons, books, or satire.) We were asked to show the class in a 4-5 minute presentation, create a visual, and write a 800-1,000 word essay. I focused my project on the Westboro baptist church, specifically, the dynamics in which the church exercises free speech. My essay thesis was inspired by a quote by Noam Chomsky, " If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." Take a look below to see the project!
Artist Statement:
My piece, “The First Amendment; cant live with it, cant live without it” articulates how in our society we must have freedom speech for the people we despise, or we don’t believe in it for ourselves. The Westboro Baptist Church (the people holding offensive and colorful signs) represents the people we despise in or society. The single man holding the sign reading “F*** these guys” symbolizes how many of the people in my social circles view the WBC and others who share similar ideologies. The angels holding the sign scripted; “protested” represents how both actions, the WBC protesting and the man counter acting that protest have their actions protected by the First Amendment.