Free speech is the right to use certain offensive words and phrases to convey political messages.

According to Whitney v. California, "If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence." Basically, speech combats speech: everyone gets to say stuff, but with that freedom comes the relevant repercussions. It's probably more important to know the rights you don't have than the ones you do. As wikipedia defifines, it” Freedom of speech is the right to state one's opinions and ideas without being stopped or punished” The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects freedom of speech, press and religion. Freedom of speech is one of our most important rights.

There have been many time in history where poeple having the option to speak their mind was very important. Debates are the main point Im talking about. Imagine being in a debate or just in an argument and having the police called on you, because your opinion was”wrong”.

Without free speech there wouldn't be any movements. Without free speech during the civil rights movement people wouldn't have been able to speak up and fight for what's right. In the late 18th century and early 19th women used free speech to speak up and protest for the right to vote. Other groups like black lives matter and groups fighting for gender and marriage rights are still using free speech today to stand and speak out.   
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Being silenced at religious school/ my whole experiences at religious school was pretty bad., I remember all through, there have been many times where I felt silenced, I never felt comfortable enough to share my opinions, even when I didn't agree with what they were saying. I feel that especially in religion people don't like hearing other people's opinion and that's just part of the culture. I would never want that to become what all of America feels like.    
      
Attending a small private school, I haven't had a lot of encounters with bullying, but outside of school I've had my fair share of encounters, some towards me, but most aimed at somone else. Without free speech people wouldn't feel comfortable to stick up for others, I remember late last year one of my hockey teammates( who broke his arm and leg) one person called him a cripple even after he was  fully healthy. Me and some others told him that that is not okay. So he can say what he wants, he hes going to hear other opinions, that's why free speech is great, Poeple have the right to say what they want, but people can whatever they want back.

Some people think that free speech causes hate speeches. They might be right; in a sense, if free speech was banned there would be no hate speeches because everyone who spoke their opinion would be in jail. With hate speech everywhere especially online. Opinions are sometimes difficult. People think that their idea is right, who should be allowed to say that your opinion is wrong and you deserve jail time.

Free speech is an basic human right, without Free speech I wouldn't have written this essay. History would be totally different no protest, movements, no freedom. Free speech lets people defend others and share their ideas and values. Free speech is our basic right.