I really enjoyed Lenoard Pitt’s speech regarding the First Amendment, “Calling Me Out My Name.” He really put things into perspective of how unaware the majority of Americans are of their fundamental rights when he said that more Americans know the names of the five Simpsons characters than they know the five rights entitled to us in the First Amendment: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right to peaceable assembly and right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Mr. Pitts could be the target of many harsh words or criticisms due to his affluent position in the writing world and his stances on various issues. However, he will always defend the American people’s right to free speech even if words attack or hurt him personally. He would do this because he says it is within a person’s first amendment rights to call him whatever he or she chooses. Pitts said, “If the government ever stepped in and tried to penalize you for what you said, I would pinch my nose but then stand up in your defense.” Furthermore, he says freedom takes courage, and the citizens of the United States need to better students and stewards of their constitutional rights. I learned so much from this enlightening speech, and I was extremely happy to see Mayor Wharton and other notable writers in the community present at the event.
The speech actually did make me think about why I want to be in the field of Journalism. I told my aunt when I was in first grade that I wanted to major in Journalism. I love to write and share my views and opinions with others. I keep a notebook with me at all times. Writing things down just make sense to me. We live in society where everything is permanent. Every status update, tweet, or Instagram picture posted to the World Wide Web will be out there on the Internet forever. This makes it scary to be a writer in today’s world because our words will be preserved FOREVER. However, it is also a little bit exciting! I want to be a writer to make people smile through my silly, personal blog. I want to be a writer because I want to write about issues that matter to me and inform the public in my future career endeavors. I want to be a writer just so I can write.
I find inspiration to write everywhere, especially in Memphis. There is so much to know about this city, and so many new, exciting things happen everyday that are worthy of a story. My family inspires me, as well as my daily life at my internship, my house with my dogs and husband, and my school career at U of M. I also love to write about trips that I take to express my thoughts and feelings about experiencing a new place, food or experience. That’s why I can’t wait to move after graduation! A writer can find inspiration anywhere because there is ALWAYS something to write about.
The freedom of speech is so important to the communication profession because if we did not have this fundamental right, we would not be able to do our jobs. Our words and voices are the most important tools we have to contribute to society. As Mr. Pitts said, “The First Amendment includes the most dangerous words ever written. In the wrong hands, these words can cause upset and outrage. They can topple regimes.” Words are so powerful. I cannot even imagine a world where American citizens could not say what they wanted to say or write what they wanted to write. I don’t ever want to imagine that. I am happy to be a Journo!
The speech actually did make me think about why I want to be in the field of Journalism. I told my aunt when I was in first grade that I wanted to major in Journalism. I love to write and share my views and opinions with others. I keep a notebook with me at all times. Writing things down just make sense to me. We live in society where everything is permanent. Every status update, tweet, or Instagram picture posted to the World Wide Web will be out there on the Internet forever. This makes it scary to be a writer in today’s world because our words will be preserved FOREVER. However, it is also a little bit exciting! I want to be a writer to make people smile through my silly, personal blog. I want to be a writer because I want to write about issues that matter to me and inform the public in my future career endeavors. I want to be a writer just so I can write.
I find inspiration to write everywhere, especially in Memphis. There is so much to know about this city, and so many new, exciting things happen everyday that are worthy of a story. My family inspires me, as well as my daily life at my internship, my house with my dogs and husband, and my school career at U of M. I also love to write about trips that I take to express my thoughts and feelings about experiencing a new place, food or experience. That’s why I can’t wait to move after graduation! A writer can find inspiration anywhere because there is ALWAYS something to write about.
The freedom of speech is so important to the communication profession because if we did not have this fundamental right, we would not be able to do our jobs. Our words and voices are the most important tools we have to contribute to society. As Mr. Pitts said, “The First Amendment includes the most dangerous words ever written. In the wrong hands, these words can cause upset and outrage. They can topple regimes.” Words are so powerful. I cannot even imagine a world where American citizens could not say what they wanted to say or write what they wanted to write. I don’t ever want to imagine that. I am happy to be a Journo!