Xanthippa's Chamberpot

This is part of the ‘Big Picture’ series.

Each and every person must be free to speak their mind, seriously or in jest, regardless of who they are or what their ideas are.  I am fully willing to accept that spreading falsehoods or breaking confidentiality agreements can and should be prosecuted in civil court – that is the appropriate and necessary consequence  of this right to speak freely.  However, the key here it that is is actionable by the injured party, in civil court – not by anyone else, anywhere. 

There is a second part to this ‘freedom of speech issue’ – every person ought to have ‘freedom of speech’ on both the output and the input side, so to speak.  The ‘input side’, of course, is the ‘access to other people’s speech’.  Because, if a country were to allow each and every citizen to speak freely – but only in sound-proof cells where nobody can hear their voice – the citizens may be able to say what they wish, but it is not ‘freedom of speech’.

So, in my definition, ‘freedom of speech’ also includes the ‘freedom to be heard’ and perhaps most importantly the ‘freedom to hear others’ – regardless of what they may say.  As in, I get to choose whom I listen to – nobody else may make that choice for me!!!  To me, this is an essential component of ‘freedom of speech’.

Of course, because speech is the means of re-balancing freedoms vs. accomodations, those who wish to control the way a society evolves will allways seek to control speech!