Letter: The blessings of free speech

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As a journalist, I get the freedom of speech spiel all the time.

“We must practice our free speech,” they say. “If we don’t, who’s going to keep the rest of the world in check?”

I admit, it normally goes in one ear and out the other — but what do you expect when it’s Thursday evening class and my weekend starts at its end. However, while reading letters to The Salt Lake Tribune editor, one caught me by surprise.

Because of copyright laws (another spiel I get often) I can’t copy it here or tell you the person’s name, but I can tell you this, they made me grateful for my literary freedoms.

They brought up North Korea, so I did a little more research. Even though the government calls itself the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, we all know there is nothing democratic, republic or people-based about them.

In fact, I’d be willing to call them communist.

With this form of government, their idea of freedom of speech involves letting the people say whatever they want in support and praise of the government, its leaders and anything else they deem necessary.

I’m a relatively supportive person of our government, but I wouldn’t last a minute in North Korea.

So, just thinking about my ability to write in this column what I please, say in a public forum what I please and think to myself anything I please made me wonder, what would life be like without these blessed freedoms?

The book “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury comes quickly to mind. I’d be willing to rank this book in my top five because it truly depicts where we would be without our freedom of free speech, free thought and free word.

For those of you who didn’t actually read the books assigned to you in high school, here’s the SparkNotes version: a firefighter, whose job it is to start fires, realizes the books he burns may contain important and enlightening information. The entire novel focuses on this man learning the importance of the written word, the freedom to read and the freedom to discuss.

If you skipped this one in high school, I recommend picking it up now — it’s worth it.

If we lost our right to speech, our right to read and our right to share, we would be where they were.

We would worship our televisions more than we already do. We would fight for our naivetey and scramble for our childish ideologies. We would forget the importance of knowledge and cast aside our pursuits of religious enlightenment.

We would be lost.

But we don’t live in this world. We don’t live in a country that limits us; we live in a country that frees us. We have the opportunity as citizens to make a difference, to change the world.

Sometimes I think we forget this vital fact. Few places still exist in this world where each citizen knows they can make a difference. In most countries, the government limits its people. Here in the United States the people limit themselves.

So here’s your chance. Break free of your limitations; break free of your preconceived failures. Release yourself from self-oppression and self-doubt.

You can make a difference.

So, in the words of Dr. Seuss, for I can’t say it better myself:

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. … Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)”

Allison Goett is the opinion editor for The Daily Universe. This viewpoint represents her opinion and not necessarily that of The Daily Universe, BYU, its administration or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

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