Is Free Speech Dead?

Are we really able to speak freely anymore?? Really?

I heard a great definition of free speech not too long ago:

FREE SPEECH is the ability to scream at the top of your lungs your opinions WHILE standing next to a person that spends their entire life fighting against the very thing your are talking about.

Now, that to me, is freedom of speech! Our forefathers died for this freedom.

What if, back in the early days, our freedom of speech was to be squashed like it is today? Do you really think Americans could have broken free to their independence?

Everyone has a right to voice their opinion. Agree? The problem comes in not what our opinion is, but how we voice it!

If I say I am against something, is that wrong?

If I say I am against something and have an obvious intention to hurt someone, then that is wrong.

The problem comes in our delivery. I do not agree with many things that go on in the world. Am I a bad person if I state my disagreement?

For example, I do not agree with the way some younger girls dress. They show all but their private parts. I think they look trashy. Now, that is my opinion.

When my daughter asks me about an outfit like that, my opinion is that I do not like it and it makes you look slutty. Now watch the slight difference here.

If I would say I do not like the outfit and you are a slut....now that is a whole world of difference.

THEREIN lies the problem!

Yes, I said it! We are super sensitive! Do not be offended. Please.

I believe this is the root of the problem.

When I grew up, kids called each other names. In Fact, when I went to the 7th grade in a new school, we got greenies. Greenies are when other kids punch you on the arm. You get bruised and the bruise gets green!

Just imagine that today! Holy cow! They would be calling the cops on every kid.

The generation after mine has grown up in this super sensitive world where even if you look at someone weirdly, you get sent off to sensitivity training...in the first grade!

We want to be this diverse society, however we cannot recognize that we are DIFFERENT!

Not everyone celebrates diversity. You will always have people who do not belive the same way you do!

My dad called it "growing some skin". Kids used to pick on me because I had bright red hair. He would say, just suck it up. It's part of growing up. It will make you tougher!

I agree. I can certainly weather more of life's trials because of it.

What is fueling this fire is the use of certain words in our society. Now, we are not only told to not to voice our opinions for fear of offending someone, but we are now told what words we are not allowed to say. Furthermore, we are told that certain races are not allowed to say certain words.

Now, before you bash me, I agree with alot of those words and I understand why they should not be used.

But when you want to put those rules into place, be careful. Words you want to use might be the next to be restricted. How will you feel?

Politicians, celebreties, and sports stars are the worst! They float stuff out there and then they have to apologize because they offended someone!

I say that is wrong! Once again, they have the right to say what they want, even if it offends somone!

Here is a tricky subject, for sure!

Acceptance. We all want it. We want everybody to agree with absolutely everything we do, say, wear, etc.

Can that ever happen? Is that a totally wasted concept.

What is interesting is the double standard that exsits in this world.

People who want you to accept their lifestyle are everywhere. If you do not accept and agree with what they do, they actually call you a hater and insensitive, and anything else they can muster up!

That is actually doing the same thing to you that they do NOT want done to them!

I learned a long time ago that not everyone will like me or what I do, or what I wear, or where I live!

My parents do not like that I live in Australia! Do I call them a hater? Do I force them to accept it?

NO!!!!

They are entitled to their opinion and they have every RIGHT to voice it!

This article has been on my mind for a long time!

I get scared that one day I will wake up and what I write on the internet or say over my phone will be censored.

Who decides what offends someone anyway. In Australia, they refer to red heads as wrangers. I hope I spelled that right! This is a reference to an Orangutans! I could get very upset and scream that they are calling me an ape! I am shocked that this has not happened yet.

Does that offend me - NO - why should it? I know I am not an ape.

I wrote this to call attention to the fact that the very people who are super sensitive and get offended at everything may wake up and find that they will be just as restricted in their speech as they want everybody to be restricted!

How would that be?

The very thing that people escaped to America for may just end up putting Americans in chains! Around their mouths!

Yes, I agree that hate speech is wrong.

Is it my job to stop it? NO

It is my job to build a healthy self esteem and self image so that I know who I am, know what I stand for and just as I am entitled to my opinion, so is everyone else - right, wrong or otherwise!

America - The land of the free..SPEECH!