Free speech is dying out in the United States, and you might be part of the problem.
The American right to free speech remains unique on the world stage. While many modern governments allow for free expression to a point, our founding fathers established an unprecedented right to speak without penalty when they penned the Bill of Rights.
Theoretically, America’s appreciation for free speech has persisted over the years. According to a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, freedom of speech is more widely accepted and supported in the United States than in any of the 38 countries studied.
But in the age of cancel culture and political debates that crumble into screaming matches, We The People is very concerned about the future of free speech in the U.S.
Our current reality is that people are losing their livelihoods for voicing opinions the internet masses don’t agree with. As WTP has previously discussed, our nation’s “intellectual leaders” have largely opted to insult their opponents instead of justifying their position. And as Timothy P. Carney of the Washington Examiner recently pointed out, in left-leaning pandemic messaging, that cruelty is the point.
All too often, we have watched our neighbors, our leaders, and even our friends resort to mud-slinging, bullying, and worse when they are faced with ideas they don’t agree with. As fear of ostracization grows within our country, the overwhelming response has been to clam up– and the undeniable result has been a rapid decline of intelligent conversations and debates within our nation.
We have created a culture of fear around dissenting opinions, and it begs the question– in a country where the majority is afraid to speak up, do we really have free speech at all?
The way We The People sees it, the answer is no. But there’s still time to do something about it.
One pivotal change needs to occur to preserve the right to free speech for everyone in America: we need to bring back civil debate. If our nation can return to a place where our normal is to calmly and intelligently discuss divisive issues, we will safeguard our right to free speech and our country will be stronger because of it.
We The People is here to provide resources and encouragement for everyday Americans who want to heal the political divide in our country. Please consider donating to our cause, and together, we can get the United States back on track.