Michelle TempletIf you're not going to use your free speech to criticize your own government, then what the hell is the point of having it?
About This Quote
If you are not going to use your free speech to criticize your own government, then what the hell is the point of having it? Many people believe that the First Amendment protects our right to criticize our government. The fact is, though, that it doesn't. The amendment actually protects your right to speak, but only within the bounds of the law. The laws that govern free speech are set by the government. If you want to criticize the government, you have to go through them -- which means they have a lot of power over what you can say.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since they have an interest in making sure their actions are above reproach, but if you try to speak out against them, you might find yourself in trouble. If you're really worried about freedom of speech, though, you should probably look at what's happening in China. The Chinese government has taken drastic measures to silence its people on social media sites like Sina Weibo. They've detained their citizens for simply expressing unpopular opinions and blocked websites like Twitter and Facebook outright.
The way this situation plays out in China is quite different from how we view free speech here in America. In America we see free speech as a fundamental right and we're willing to uphold it no matter what kind of government we live under. In China it's treated as something that must be controlled -- and really, isn't that how things work in most countries? You can't criticize your government or speak out against it without fearing for your life or losing your livelihood. No one wants to live in a country where they can't express themselves freely and no one wants to live next door to someone whose views they don't agree with. This is not a situation we should accept when we consider our own nation's commitment to free speech and its role as a beacon of democracy around the world.
When we allow our own government to silence us and take away our rights and freedoms in pursuit of its own goals, we give them too much power over us all and risk losing everything we've worked so hard for over time. So let's keep up the fight for free speech wherever we can and never give up on our rights when they may be challenged.
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