Why is Freedom of Speech Good?
June 9, 2021
The right to freedom of expression is a basic human right. All other human rights are reinforced, allowing society to thrive and progress.
The freedom to openly express ourselves and speak our minds is critical for societal transformation. Free speech entails not only the capacity to speak but also the ability to listen and allow different points of view to be listened to.
A Freedom of speech club on social media said “We need to hear other people’s views as well as offering them your opinion. We are going through a time where people don’t want to be on a panel with people they disagree with. But we should feel comfortable being in a room with people who disagree with us as otherwise, nothing will change.” This shows that people should be able to share their thinking without being judged and corrected. But listen to them and if you still want to disagree have facts to back you up.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes freedom of expression as a human right. Individuals and communities have the right to express themselves without fear of retaliation, restriction, or punishment under freedom of expression, which includes freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
How can you determine who to vote for if you don’t have all the facts? You must have proper knowledge in order to vote for the candidate who best represents your own ideas and values. Elections have a large influence on individuals, parties, and institutions, It’s critical that the media be allowed to correctly report on and criticize the actions of those in positions of power, even if it’s unflattering. In order to participate in a democracy, one must have the freedom to express oneself. Everything from newspapers to social media posts and campaign advertisements is influenced by it. Freedom of expression strengthens democracies by allowing voters to have their opinions heard and make informed decisions about the issues that important to them.
Freedom of speech is also good to inform the public. Knowledge is a powerful tool. People can’t be fully aware of what’s going on around them without a free exchange of information, whether it’s in print, on the internet, on TV, or on the radio. As a result, they can’t effectively engage in their communities or democracies. Knowledge is an important weapon. People can’t be completely informed about what’s going on around them until the information is freely exchanged. As it currently stands, they are unable to participate fully in their communities of democracies.
Freedom of speech is good for many reasons including, Informing the public, Hearing everyone’s voices, and a better democracy as you can hear everyone’s thoughts and opinions about the elections.
Work Cited
Censorship, Index. “Why Is Free Speech Important?”. Index On Censorship, 2021, https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2016/04/free-speech-important/.
“10 Reasons Freedom Of Expression Is Important | Media Legal Defence Initiative”. 10Years.Mediadefence.Org, 2021, https://10years.mediadefence.org/10-reasons-freedom-of-expression/#:~:text=Freedom%20of%20expression%20is%20a%20core%20value%20in%20the%20democratic,others%2C%20without%20censorship%20or%20reprisals.
2021, https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/first-amendment-center/primers/free-expression-on-social-media/. Accessed 8 June 2021.