It is excruciatingly obvious that very few individuals living in the United States truly understand freedom of speech. Those on the political left are not only clueless about this most fundamental right, they openly despise the very concept of it. Thanks to our criminally atrocious educational system the younger generations are also clueless and also openly hostile to the concept of freedom of speech. Unfortunately, those of us on the political right sometimes demonstrate a lack of understanding when it comes to freedom of speech. It is now time to dispel the most common misconceptions about freedom of speech that I’ve encountered.
There is no hate speech exception to freedom of speech.
Someone asked me if I support the right of the KKK to hold rallies in public. My answer is: Even though I find the KKK absolutely reprehensible and I am completely disgusted by everything they stand for I support their right to say it in public. If I found out there was a KKK rally planned in my area I would work tirelessly to organize a PEACEFUL protest and I would make sure my protest would completely dwarf the KKK rally. That is the essence of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. No one has a right to silence others, no matter how much they disagree with what others have to say. No one has a right to prevent another person, or group, from holding an event, or to interfere with that event in any way. Everyone has a right to peacefully protest anytime they want.
Even the most reprehensible individuals have a right to say the most reprehensible things.
Far too often those on the political left label speech that contradicts leftist orthodoxy as hate speech. They then use the declaration of hate speech as a weapon to silence that speech they disagree with.
There is no misinformation exception to freedom of speech.
Each and every individual has a right to spread whatever lies they wish to spread, on whatever medium they wish to use. Outright spreading of misinformation and disinformation is most definitely protected by freedom of speech.
Labeling speech that contradicts the progressive narrative as misinformation, and then censoring that speech is a favorite tactic of the Marxists who masquerade as Democrats.
The First Amendment specifically prohibits the federal government from policing speech.
Each and every attempt at regulating speech by the federal government is a direct violation of the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. That includes so called hate speech and misinformation. The federal government has zero authority to define those concepts, and zero authority to classify speech according to those criteria. The federal government has absolutely no authority to ban any speech at all.
Every state has a Bill of Rights that protects the rights of those living there from the tyranny of the state government and the local governments. That includes freedom of speech.
The Bill of Rights does not grant rights.
All rights are granted to each and every individual directly by God. The Bill of Rights is merely a restraining order that prohibits the federal government from infringing on, or regulating, our most fundamental rights in any way. There is no such thing as a First Amendment Right, only God-given Natural Rights.
Governments most definitely do not grant rights.
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