Our freedom of speech/press has come under fire in the past 5 to 10 years. Despite the presumed intention of making the US a more accepting place, expanded political correctness, a rampant “cancel culture,” and outright censoring of speech/press are likely leading to a less diverse, less equipped, less free society.

  • Less diverse: Part of what has made America great is that people from all backgrounds can join our “melting pot” and contribute to society.  Lately, however, the social stigma of saying the wrong thing is limiting overall engagement.  A 2020 Cato poll found that 62% of the population believe the political climate prevents them from sharing political views – this likely isn’t limited to just politics.  Furthermore, by perpetuating an environment where people are uncomfortable sharing thoughts out of fear of judgement, we are likely hindering our ability to identify and discuss misinformed perspectives and tear down the walls of discrimination.
  • Less equipped: Life is tough – both within the United States and outside.  Blunt communication, and feedback help ensure youth are prepared to meet the demands of the “real world.”  Practices like eliminating aptitude testing, pretending there are no winners or losers in youth sports, and eliminating merit-based recognition under the guise of inclusivity leaves generations of individuals without the framework to know where to focus, how to compete, and how to win.
  • Less free: No question about it, there are some incredibly ignorant people and perspectives out there.  While some views can be dangerous, allowing government or private corporations like Twitter, Google, and Facebook to filter what we see or hear removes our individual ability to weigh facts and form our own opinions.  Censorship also sets the stage for a third party to manipulate society how they see “just,” an extremely dangerous and slippery slope.  To quote Thomas Jefferson "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost."

This principle must not be confused with illegal practices like discrimination or speech that incites crime – these practices are illegal and should never be tolerated.  Within the bounds of the law, however, being free means we value open communication and accept that we may hear or see things we disagree with or deem offensive.

One could argue times are different now, social media and big data have introduced new concepts that can spread misinformation too quickly, but this concept is flawed.  From printing presses to radio to tv, society has always faced new communication methods which reached exponentially larger audiences.  This also isn’t the first-time society has been “threatened” at scale with incorrect facts.  Be it the 80,000+ people were put to death for witchcraft in the 16th century or the hysteria generated from  McCarthyism and Red Scare in the 1950s, false information is not new.  Yes, we are facing new challenges today, but we are a resilient nation - freedom must ring.

Good things come from diversity of ideas and thoughts.  Government intervention must be focused on preventing discrimination not on controlling speech, press, or rights under the illusion of “safety.”

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