By Davian Koren
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. (1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.)
Meaning of Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech is a fundamental human right that allows individuals to express their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs without fear of censorship or retaliation.
This liberty is essential for democracy as it enables citizens to participate in political discourse and hold their government accountable.
When people are free to voice their opinions on public matters, they can contribute to more informed decision-making processes, which is a vital piece of what makes a democracy that dictatorships lack. This means that everyone is represented, not just the loud mobs or small number of elite that have the money and power to get their way through.
Finally, being able to share your thoughts openly drives social change by allowing good ideas to be heard. And no, that does not mean that bad ideas (i.e. hate speech and/or misinformation) are an exception. There are already exceptions to free speech, such as the direct incitement of violence, and this is already enshrined in law.
Historically, movements advocating for civil rights and social justice have relied on the freedom of speech to challenge unjust laws and conduct. By protecting this right, people can confront injustices more effectively and work towards bettering our nation.
The Decline in Free Expression Today
However, at this moment the government is infringing on our right to speak. From censoring people to even arresting them, they are slowly taking away our right to converse freely in public. For example, in the Twitter Files, it was shown that the FBI compelled Twitter to censor posts on the Hunter Biden Laptop case, which based on polling had a significant impact on the 2020 election. Twitter also worked with the FBI to remove other users from their platform, including Donald Trump. Jeremy Kauffman recently had a viral video in which he was intimidated in person by the FBI¹ for a social media post. There’s also been shadow-banning of negative views of Kamala Harris on Facebook². Many highly-credible medical professionals (Pierre Kory, Jay Bhattacharya, Peter McCullough, and many others) were censored because they voiced (what we now know to be highly valid) concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID vaccine, as well as the origins of the virus. Check out the Great Barrington Declaration for more info on this.³
Once your right to freedom of speech goes, everything else goes with it. This leads to a totalitarian government run by tyrants that don’t care about their own reputation (there’s no need – everyone can’t say a thing against them), or whether what they’re doing is good or just.
Our founders did their best to prevent this from happening in the U.S. by creating our constitution and placing many restrictions upon our government and therefore limiting their power. But to no avail, as our government still does not respect our rights.
It may seem easier in the short term to cancel others in this manner, and stand by and let those that are corrupt in power do so, but this does not work. If we allow the government to decide what constitutes “hate speech” or “misinformation,” there’s no telling when definitions will change and your own actions would be seen as wrong and you punished. The solution to bad ideas is not censorship; it’s more good ideas.
A Call to Action
We must continue to advocate for freedom of speech, since it’s the foundation of an free society. How can you do this?
Talk openly and stand up for what you believe is right. The government needs to be held accountable for its actions, as does any organization or person – without free speech, this is impossible. When something is wrong, people need to know. This may mean great sacrifice on your part, but is necessary to keep country livable. (Many whistleblowers are punished greatly for their words.)
That does not happen in a free country. There is corruption here and we need to step up and defend our liberty.
Wrapping up…
In conclusion, freedom of speech is not just a fundamental right; it’s needed for the functioning of democracy and accurate representation of the people.
Protecting this liberty ensures that all voices are heard while growing an environment where ideas can flourish.
A big reason our country has been able to grow and become the greatest in history is because we have this right.
We need to defend it.
References:
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4IIj6YglKA
- www.youtube.com/watch?v=raKq0yKadSk
- gbdeclaration.org/
Davian Koren is a Fillmore County home school student, one of 15 area students participating in the Journal Writing Project, now in its 26th year.
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