Dear Keshav, 

From the moment we are born we hold the ability to exercise free speech. Through some way shape or form, we all have a way to portray our thoughts, regardless of whether it’s through writing, crying (the way babies tend to do), or simply through opening our mouths and speaking. In some cases unfortunately, individuals may be bound by the community they’re in, unable to freely express themselves, however they are still allowed to either silently suppress their own opinions or speak up at the risk of facing repercussions. 

Freedom of speech allows us as a society to be opened up to a plethora of opinions, therefore helping us to gradually move forward and develop into a form of society in which all voices are heard and considered. There is a quote by George Washington in which he says, “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” With this mindset held in consideration, if no one had the ability to speak their thoughts, we may still be living in a world where the colour of your skin determines your value and the amount of respect you should be shown. A world without free speech would be no better than a world which approves slavery, and that is a dark moment in society that we should never slip back into again. 

Keshav, you’ve asked about to what extent should it be allowed. Just like many things in life, there are two sides to a sword. Having the right to exercise our freedom of speech does not suddenly give us all the green light to start blurting out everything that comes to mind. We still have a moral obligation to behave responsibly and not abuse our right. There is a thin line between free speech and hate speech. We must learn to not cross it unless we want free speech to be a bane as opposed to a boon to society. Never forget, that we are all entitled to our opinion but not to our own facts. 

I believe that as long as we use our freedom of speech wisely, without malicious intent or the intent to belittle or harm others, then we will be given room to flourish and evolve into an open-minded society. This, Keshav is the type of world we all should be trying to move towards.

Love, Thammie