Freedom of Speech

               I probably never will be told to leave my country because someone disagrees with me, so I was hard put to define how freedom of speech affects me.  I started wondering how political correctness run amok affects freedom of speech. 

               In this society everyone seems quick to be offended by, or to file lawsuits over, any real or imagined slight. 

During the holidays we stop and think whether someone is going to be offended if we say “Merry Christmas.”  In the name of freedom of religion we seemingly attempt to remove anything religious from public life, including school.

Freedoms of speech and expression go hand in hand and are basic constitutional principles, but I fear they are eroded by censorship and book banning in some cases.  I can and do write material that might offend some people’s rigid notions of morality.  Fine, they’re free not to read it, but given the tone of these times, some wouldn’t leave it at that and would try to suppress what I say.   I haven’t dealt with them—so far.

We are wound up too tight and need more understanding and tolerance.  Those are ideals toward which our nation should strive.  That includes respect for the rights of those who are different from us, who have different opinions, who worship differently, who may have come from other nations.  Else what does the Statue of Liberty’s torch stand for?

We must realize, for example, that even though we have a presidential candidate spewing hateful and ever more shockingly offensive words, seemingly to test the limits of what he can get away with—he has every right to say what he wants.  If we open dialogue among our wonderfully diverse groups, that kind of speech will die the slow death it deserves.