Free Speech

When you speak, people learn about you. When you listen, you learn about other people. What you write or say communicates to others where your thoughts and passions are at any point in time.

No two people see the world exactly the same, nor should they. Through the interaction of people, we come to new ideas and new viewpoints.

Of course, there are some things that one should not be free to say. These include words that directly lead to harm of others, such as shouting "Fire!" in a movie theater, or stating something harmfully and knowingly false about a private person.

Are there others? Should there be some standards beyond the extreme? Lack of compassion or implying shortcomings of some groups is considered bad form, but this does not apply to other groups. Bigotry and racism, for example, is defined by some on the left as being applicable only if you are a group in power. Furthermore, some people believe that the lives of some people who go in harm's way for our sakes are sacred, not to be trivialized, such as police, fire and military. As mentioned in a prior post, we all want to question authority, to find our own way among the facts, to establish our own set of beliefs. Wending your way between the facts and feelings can lead to enlightenment. But, always seek common ground if you want your ideas to have the impact you believe they deserve.