> I'd argue that being allowed to write about the fact a police officer took your house and there's no real recourse for you to get it back is less important th

> I'd argue that being allowed to write about the fact a police officer took your house and there's no real recourse for you to get it back is less important than the officer just not taking it in the first place. The fact that you can write about it IS your recourse. If you're not allowed to share your issues with others, you'll never get any weight behind them. Places like China and North Korea know this and clamp down on any groups rallying around a cause. Meanwhile, their laws go unenforced and an "every man for himself" attitude prevails, as they know they don't really have protection from the state. Is America perfect? No. But freedom of speech is the one open door we have towards making our country better. Remember the Boston Tea Party, the I Have a Dream speech, Women's Suffrage, Antiwar movements, Gay rights, labor movements... None of these are possible in places that do not have free speech.