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Free speech is part of the natural right of individuals to live and think without being oppressed by society.

• UnpossibleJim 9y ago
  Without being oppressed by law or legislation, not by society. It seems like a crowbar of distinction, I know, but it's an important distinction. You can still be ostracized for your speech and chided, as certain ideas should be given what the society values, but you shouldn't be jailed or prevented from speaking on public grounds, given proper permits/clearances.
  • rothbardrand 9y ago
    It's also important to recognize that government is not society. Government to my mind is a mafia. A group of thugs that enforces its will and buys good will with a little charity while sucking the life out of the country (eg: massive inflation, taxation, regulation to favor their allied businesses, perpetrating drug wars and wars in other countries despite society opposing them, etc.) If government represented society, we would not have a drug war, we would not be in so many wars, etc.
• deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
• s73ver_ 9y ago
  But how far does that go? Speech can also be used to suppress others. When Leslie Jones was bombarded with hate speech and racism on Twitter by members of Gamergate and the alt-right, she ended up quitting Twitter. That would qualify as oppression to most people. Now if you want to say something about Twitter, then fine. Replace Twitter with the public park.