Very little of the incredible advancements and aspects of American life discussed in this article would be possible without the key component of freedom of speech. There is a reason politicians are always trying so hard to diminish it. Its diminished somewhat in the first place by the difficulty in being heard, but freedom of speech is a unique aspect of the American experiment and its the nations best chance at leading the world into the future. In America, there is no restriction on what you can write and say so long as it does not unfairly slander, defame or falsely accuse. And thats the way it should be. Freedom of speech has been used to assemble and demand fair treatment for workers and equality for minorities. It has been used to condemn leaders, expose scandals and inform the population. But free speech is in very real danger. Criminalizing speech is the next-worst thing to criminalizing thought. Politicians, news pundits, activist groups and businesses are eager to slap restrictions on the boundaries of acceptable dialogue. But there is a strong tradition of free speech in America dating back to the nations founding and the publication of papers dissenting from the British crown. It has been the one freedom that has rightly been defended with the most vigor. Without free speech, America simply ceases to be the place that it is. Other nations are better than the US in health care and education. They take better care of their poor. But none are as powerful in their defense of the freedom of every individual to express him or herself and contribute to the national dialogue. The First Amendment is at the heart of the rebelliousness of rock music, the adventurousness of comic books and the edgy satire of comedians. It is the most crucial feature of our democracy and something all brave Americans must unite in defense of. Whatever it is youre praising on this Fourth of July, keep a little bit of humility in mind. It is important to remain vigilant in the establishment of a better world and to look at your own society through the harshest lens available. Fixing the worlds problems starts with fixing the problems at home. But this doesnt mean we cant occasionally reflect on what makes America great and celebrate what were doing right. Whether youre watching fireworks, grilling hot dogs, drinking beer or working in a hot factory on the midnight shift, the Fourth of July is a ripe time for reflection both critical and uplifting. May God, Zeus, Buddha, Krishna and all the rest keep America a nation blessed.
Kyle Schmidlin is a writer and musician living in Austin, TX. He manages the news blog at thirdrailnews.wordpress.com. Follow him at facebook.com/kyleschmidlin or twitter.com/kyleschmidlin1.
