Defending free speech

Upholding personal freedom of expression
Defending freedom of expression

Description

Defending free speech involves actively safeguarding individuals’ rights to express opinions and information without censorship or retaliation. This strategy includes monitoring and challenging restrictions, providing legal support to those facing suppression, promoting transparent communication channels, and advocating for robust legal protections. Its practical intent is to remedy censorship, intimidation, and self-censorship, ensuring open public discourse and the free exchange of ideas essential for democratic societies and social progress.

Context

The contrast between the US and European standards of free speech is demonstrated in the language of the First Amendment, compared to the language of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The First Amendment of the US Constitution says: "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..." The UN Covenant, on the other hand, says in Article 19: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary...

Claim

"So long as they don't get violent, I want to let everyone say what they wish, for I myself have always said exactly what pleased me." (Albert Einstein).