Our Right To Freedom Of Speech Is Linked To Our Duty To Make Good Choices

“The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up." John C. Maxwell

Our right to freedom of speech is inextricably linked to our freedom of choice! Now, that's a bold statement. Couldn't a case be made that by the very nature of choice, we could decide to remain silent at any time? We'll cover that as well.

Both freedom of choice and speech are also part of being a responsible adult. Just because you can doesn't mean you always should. This was a fact that took me a while to learn. 

The inspiration for this page came from a combination of factors. Part of it came from the quote we shared recently from Stephen Covey. It is in the container box just below this block.

Of all the editors on our website, I had the farthest to go, and the most to accept about my own responsibility for the choices I made in my life. Our pages about morality and ethics, and common sense, respectively, also inspired me to take the lead role in this page. I've added the links to those posts in the container block below that great Covey quote.

“If you were to ask me what one subject, one theme, one point, seemed to have the greatest impact upon people – what one great idea resonated deeper in the soul than any other – if you were to ask what one ideal was most practical, most relevant, most timely, regardless of circumstances, I would answer quickly, without any reservation, and with the deepest conviction of my heart and soul, that we are free to choose.

This power and freedom stand in stark contrast to the mind-set of victimize and culture of blame so prevalent in society today. Fundamentally, we are a product of choice, not nature (genes) or nurture (upbringing, environment). Certainly genes and culture often influence very powerfully, but they do not determine. We are a product of choice. Are leaders born or made? Neither. They are self-made. Again it is a choice.”

churchill free speech

What Is Freedom of Speech?

Here is a generally accepted definition of freedom of speech along with some speech that is not protected.

"Freedom of speech is the right of a person to articulate opinions and ideas without interference or retaliation from the government. The term 'speech' constitutes expression that includes far more than just words, but also what a person wears, reads, performs, protests and more."

Exceptions include:

* Speech that is deemed a "true threat" that could lead to physical violence

* Speech that incites illegal activities

* Speech that creates an intimidating, demeaning, or hostile environment

For some more in depth examples, check out this link from a university. It also provides their criteria for acceptable speech. You'll see where choices are involved again.

One definition of freedom of choice: "Freedom of choice means that the the person is able to choose his own course of action and his own pattern of living, subject to the requirement that he shall not act so as to violate the freedom of choice of others."

But the thing about choice is this: We can rationalize in our own minds our freedom of choice beliefs in the same way we rationalize all our actions. If we absolve ourselves of responsibility, we can justify anything.

The right to freedom of speech literally ends with slander and potential to cause harm. But if we live in a cocoon of victim mentality, we can ignore that definition.

We make the "choice" to attack someone with words, and we all know about the power of words, with no concern for the harm we are causing.  Because in our own minds we were dealt a lousy hand by life.

"Hate speech and freedom of speech are two different things."  Leslie Jones

The Right to Freedom of Speech Always Links To Choice

All the freedoms we enjoy, freedom of choice, freedom of speech and religion, freedom of the press are all contingent on truth. All these freedoms must be backed by responsibility and accountability or they become nothing more than vitriol and false messaging that tears away the fabric of our nation.

Trust me here because I have the scars to prove it. And I've caused some scars on other people. Bad things always start small and usually grow from envy, selfishness, and greed. And fear. All of these traits are the results of choices.

But accountability, remorse, apologies, restitution, honesty, and forgiveness are also choices. They are also small things that become bigger.

We have the right to freedom of speech in America. If we don't use that freedom to speak out about injustice, it is a wasted freedom. Freedoms come with duties. As we wrote in a previous page, duties actually come before freedoms. If don't follow through on our duty, we will lose those freedoms.

We have a duty to speak the truth, to lift up people in need with our voices and our actions. Part of our right to freedom of speech is to allow that right to everyone else. We have a duty to listen with the intent to understand the other person's viewpoint.

The right to freedom of speech will always be inextricably linked to our freedom of choice. Both end just before the point where they harm an innocent human. Both are dependent upon honesty and prior thought.

History will hold us accountable for when we spoke up against injustice, when we listened with the intent to understand, when we used our freedoms to make things better than we found them. And when we did nothing to help.

History will also hold us accountable for our choices. Trust me here. I have the scars from bad choices, but I also have been fortunate to have been helped by someone else's choices, strong words, and examples.

Freedoms of speech and choice. They go together.

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