Rediscovering the Value of Free Speech
Like countless other Americans, I have studied United States history. I thought I understood the implications of founding a nation based on personal freedom and liberty. Obviously the people who chose to travel to this country to embrace their individual rights to worship, speak, demonstrate, assemble and participate in the electoral process found those rights valuable enough to leave their homes, to speak out against their home country, in some case even participate in wars. These rights came into question during various points in history.
Who really is covered by these freedoms and how far do they extend? One by one groups who were not initially included: minorities, women, immigrants and many others stepped forward and worked to make real changes in the inclusion in the basic human rights recorded simply and fully in our nation���s constitution.
My generation, the 30 something���s were subjected to the same academic courses as previous generations. And some
of us really internalized the changes that once had to happen to allow the lifestyle they enjoyed. However, knowing the history did nothing for our appreciation of what the guarantee of these rights actually implied.
Until now. Until those rights are threatened. Until suddenly the recipients of the privileges of democracy are forced to take a close look at what those rights we take for granted actually cost.
A few months ago, our nation was rocked by racial turmoil. The issue of racism tied to police brutality is real. Of course not every Caucasian is racist and not every police officer is corrupt. Not every African American fits to profile imposed on them. We are a nation and world of diverse individuals. There are exceptions to the positives. The exceptions make everyone look bad. So protests began: protests against discrimination and violence, protests against vilifying police, and protests, which were peaceful and meaningful that never made headlines because of riots that made our country appear course and uncivilized. The riots that took our right to assemble and our right to protest and made into a criminal action exacted against communities that were in need of reform rather than demolition.
Credit Ruters
Credit NBC
Last month, the motion picture industry planned to release a movie depicting the assignation of a foreign leader. I have not watched the movie. I have no real desire to. Someone in the motion picture industry read a script with this plot at some point. This person or committee made a decision to approve the manuscript for movie production. They felt that the message was worth syndication. The movie was produced because the writers and producers and actors have the right to do so in our nation. Despite this right, we exist in a global society. The foreign leader depicted did not approve of his portrayal. I���m sure none of us would be fond of a theatric demonstration of our demise. In his nation, his citizens would not have the right to tarnish his public image. And he sought a way to stop the movie from being released. Our nation faced the threat of war and domestic terrorism in order to stop the movie���s release. Our nation was faced by a situation where rights it gave were the cause of threats from a foreign nation. We as a country were faced with a decision: how far we were willing to defend those rights in order to preserve our relationship and good standing with the other county. Our nation chose to support the movie���s release despite the threats.
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Credit Slashgear
A few weeks ago French cartoonists who chose to belittle a religious affiliation for entertainment purposes were slaughtered in their place of business by terrorists who were offended by their portrayal. They were legally allowed to publish their opinions, yet they made themselves a target of an extremist group. The local authority would have protected their right to work and publish their cartons, but they were unlawfully silenced by murder and assault.
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I feel these situations personally. As an author, I depend on freedom of speech and freedom of expression to do my work. I know that legally the constitution will support my right to publish my ideas. Even so, I must face a truth that previous generations were very aware of: we are free to speak, but we are accountable for our words. Whatever thoughts and ideas I chose to release into the universe hold consequences. They are personal ones, not legal ones, but they are still real and in the global scheme of things, they are pivotal.
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