𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞. It’s not just a right – it’s the ability to 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞.
In the 𝐔.𝐒. (𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝟏𝟕𝟗𝟏):
“Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”
This protection is 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭.
𝐈𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 (𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝟐𝟏, 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟕):
“Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. No censorship shall be maintained…”
This guarantee 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝.
Across cultures, the 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤, 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is more than a legal principle — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. Free speech is how 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰, 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞.
