www.ned.org
Free Speech Is the First Freedom
Tyrants fear free speech. In North Korea, something as simple as watching a foreign film, listening to K-pop, or sharing a flash drive loaded with news from the outside world can lead to years of hard labor in a prison camp. They fear it for a simple reason: truth breaks monopolies of power. Once people can hear something other than the stateโs version of reality, fear begins to loosen its grip, people begin to think for themselves, and the possibility of a different future begins to emerge. Free speech is one liberty among many, and the liberty that helps safeguard the rest. Freedom of assembly depends on the ability to call people together and organize. Free elections depend on citizens being able to hear competing ideas and judge those who seek power. The right to petition government requires the ability to criticize authority without reprisal. Even religious liberty depends on the freedom to speak, teach, and practice oneโs beliefs openly. A free society, in turn, depends on citizens being able to speak, write, worship, question, organize, create, and exchange ideas without fear. It depends, too, on access to information that allows citizens to think critically and participate meaningfully in public...