This year, National Freedom of Speech Week takes place Oct. 16-22. (See http://www.freespeechweek.org/). One way to celebrate is to reflect on what freedom of speech means to each of us.
To me, freedom of speech means the ability to find -- whether in books, on TV, in newspapers, on the radio, on the Web -- messages that can make me feel angry, courageous, cowardly, creative, encouraged, happy, inspired, shocked, sad, uneasy. It means being both amazed and bewildered by the brilliance and the stupidity of the human mind. Freedom of speech means creating learning opportunities from messages my 7-year-old daughter sees or reads that don’t make sense to her.
What does freedom of speech mean to you?
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12 comments:
To me, it means protecting the right of someone to say or write something that I disagree with, no matter how repugnant I may personally find it. As we know, there are limits on free speech; there are reasonable considerations, there are regulations in certain instances, there are legal ramifications, too. We must appreciate that our government and society is built upon the free speech premise. If our speech is deemed objectionable by others, we're not jailed (at least so far), disembowled (at least so far), investigated and followed (hmm...) and we must work to protect these freedoms in our society. It could go away...our speech could become limited...things could change, and have, during trying times in our nation...
And yes, it means there is information that a person does not want to access, discuss, or listen to.
Leticia and Jen have said it well.
The only thing I might add is that freedom of speech has allowed me to speak as a fool, listen as a student, and share as a human being.
The aspect of free speech I find myself struggling with most is that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between speech that generates heat and speech that produces light.
mtaghizadegan
To me, freedom of speech means that I have the right to speak out about what I believe in, whether or not those beliefs are socially acceptable. It means I havethe right to stand up in public and disagree with what the government is saying. It means I have the right to stand on a street corner with a sign protesting the war. Freedom of speech means I don't have to fear reprisals because I choose to be different from the majority.
Although there are in fact some resrtictions when it comes to free I think that it is necessary to have laws that protect us from prosecution when we speak our mind.Its lucky for us to have that ability. If we wern't allowed the freedom of speech there would definitly be way more controversy when it comes to politics and other hot topics in general. Also I htink it is nice to see different perpectives, and form your own opinions. Molly Hubbard
To me, freedom of speech means being able to speak freely about what you believe in. Freedom of speech means that we, as Americans, do not have to be afraid of speaking our minds. It means that we don't have to feel as though we will be persecuted by our government for saying or writing what we believe; even if those beliefs differ from the majority.
But what happens when, like in today's world, our conversations and letters are being monitored? How do these infringements, albeit for safety, breach our freedoms of speech?
Dane K.
Free speech is a beautiful idea that Americans are enamored with. The concept of "rights", to free speech or anything else, in the sense that Westerns think about them, apply in reality to less than half the world's people. Freedom of Speech is indeed a precious thing that I automatically take for granted, unless it's National Freedom of Speech Week, or something else happens to brings it to my conscious thoughts. Free speech and the fact that the vast majority of Americans accept that freedom and many others as a matter-of-fact reality represents the true and unprecedented triumph of the American people, our way of life and our form of governance.
Truett Scofield
Well - If you were to ask the Dixie Chicks if speech was free - I have a hunch they would say no. There openly expressed opinions of "w" almost ended their careers. So- I pose a question - is speech really free?
To me free speech means being able to voice your opinion and not be penalized. There are other forms of punishment - such as mass cd burnings - like what happened to the Dixie Chicks.
Being able to express your views openly and freely is what it's all about. But, if you choose to exorcise your free speech right you better be willing to accept the concequences both positive and negative.
What freedom means to me? Well, being able to write this post without have a hanging the next day sounds great! Freedom to me means that I get to spend an afternoon reading a book underneath a tree in the park without watchful eyes glaring back at me. Freedom means to me that I can practise my religion without getting a Focus on the Family person coming to my door. (Not guaranteed, but atleast my freedom gives me the right not to have to open the door) Freedom means to me being able to dye my hair and dress in the crazy, Avant Garde way that I do, but I still can get the respet of others for knowing what I do. Freedom means that I get a chocie, whether it be in choosing when I marry or to what I want to cook for dinner that night. I want to be able to speak my mind and tell someone my own opionion without the fear of ending up in the stocks or being fed to lions. Freedom to me means living a life that I have set out for myself, and no one can tell me no. I get to be the fool, the psyco, the self-indulged, the opinionated, the music loving and the optimist all piled into one. Its a great life.
~Savanah Robles~
Freedom of speech to me is being able to express yourself and your ideas. I also think freedom of speech is being able to express your opinions. Expressing your opinions is important because it gives others different view points and ideas. I do think some people can go too far with freedom of speech and sometimes it does need to be regulated.
-Jen Robles
Freedom of speech to me means that I can say whatever I want to whoever I want whenever I want. Do I do it? No. That's respect. But at least I know I have the freedom to do it if I wanted to. It means that if I don't like the way something is going, I can speak up and say, "Hey, this really sucks!" People don't have to like it, but I can do it. To me freedom of speech is saying anything that's on your mind and not being punished for it.
To me freedom of speech means that i can speak my mind with out fear that I will be punished for what I say. I can criticize the government or express my opinion however unpopular it may be, and so can everyboby else in the United States even if we all don't agree on that same opinion
-Sarah Wolgram
For me, freedom of speech is my natural born right as a human being. Emotion, thought, and feeling are what make us human. The world needs to acknowledge this true and simple fact. To be vocally restricted is impeding on your natural instinct to communicate. It's natural to want to tell the truth. When you lie, your brain actually has to process that you are lying. When you can't say what you feel or need to say, in a sense you are lying to yourself. One can't grow as a person if they can not express the knowledge they already have. Human beings need acceptance and disapproval. Of course there are things that may be inapropriate to say in particular circumstances, but it is up to the individual to decipher what is appropriate and when it is appropriate.
Joann Babbitt
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