FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The Free Speech Clause is one of the integral concepts of the founding of America, and it is protected by the First Amendment to our Constitution. The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech.” This freedom also includes the freedom not to speak or to pay for the speech of anything against one’s will.
The culture of free speech is under attack in the United States. Governments are passing laws censoring and even punishing medical professionals for providing medical opinions related to COVID-19 or vaccines that conflict with what the government deems is correct. School districts and colleges are punishing teachers and students for expressing their religious, scientific, and political beliefs in the classroom. Schools and colleges are also forcing teachers to endorse policies and directives that violate their religious and personal beliefs. Unions continue to force government employees to subsidize political speech against their will. And Big Tech continues to censor political and religious speech online.
A strong democracy requires citizens to be able to speak freely and openly about those in power. This can only happen if governments are held accountable when they attempt to silence the people.