Freedom of speech gives us the right to do a lot of things when it comes to the things we have to say, but it does have its limitations. You can’t threaten people. You can’t claim there is a bomb in a building and expect to avoid getting arrested and facing some serious charges when the police find that there is no bomb. And if you lie in court you are committing perjury and have to face the consequences of that.
All of these things break the law and are examples of how free speech is limited in certain respects to protect people. Criticism is not a limitation of freedom of speech, though political correctness has led many people to think or wish that it is.
The right to voice our disagreement with the actions of the government and the right to protest are some of the more obvious rights when it comes to criticism.
The freedom to criticize the government and those in power is one of the most fundamental freedoms of the United States of America. We also have the right to criticize each other and the views of others. That’s the idea that so many are losing their grip on.
We have the right to express our opinions as well as express our disagreement when someone else expresses a view that contradicts our own. That includes other people’s political opinions, social views, and religion.
Political correctness causes people to want to place limitations on these types of criticisms. That would not truly be free speech. No one should ever be prevented from or not allowed to say something just because someone else considers it to be offensive.
Our right to free speech does not come with an asterik that says “…as long as everyone around you gives permission to say what you want to say and is not offended by it”.
However, it is still important for people to use the right venues to express their views. While we all have the right to express our views there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to do so.
For example, every work environment has certain standards of conduct. Your boss may not appreciate you expressing your views during work hours in a way that is distracting or disruptive. Most employers would probably want to keep debates and arguments over someone expressing their opinion out of the workplace.
If your boss tells you that you can’t pass out flyers for a local political rally or doesn’t want you starting a debate over an issue you care about does not mean that your freedom of speech is being suppressed. It’s just that you should do those things on your own time.
Laws that restrict free speech, such as forbidding threats or lying to police, will always be there. Our right to criticize our government and the views of others is fundamental to our freedom of speech. It must be protected.