The freedom OF speech is not the freedom FROM speech, or from hearing speech that may be controversial or harsh, and in America under the 1st amendment to the constitution we are still allowed to say anything we want to say here in this country, and critique and criticize those in government, without fear of facing criminal punishment.  The first President of our nation, George Washington said, "if the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” The government was formed under the Constitution for 2 reasons:  To protect our natural rights as citizens and to protect property rights.  When the Constitution of the United States was ratified in 1788, it allowed for amendments that would clarify positions not clearly defined in the Constitution.  In 1791 the first ten amendments were added to the Constitution. These ten amendments had to do with liberty and became known as the Bill of Rights, for they guarantee to the people of the United States certain individual liberties. First Amendment:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. freedom of speech is the right to say anything you want to without fear of criminal punishment. Which means anybody can say anything. People can say things that are full of wisdom, knowledge, and brilliance or people can say really stupid, dumb, even rebellious things against the government not fear criminal punishment. Billy Graham said "freedom of speech means nothing to the people who are too weak in their convictions to speak out against the evil that is eating at the heart of the nation like a cancer.” George Orwell, who wrote 1984 and Animal Farm, two books I was required to read in high school about the total control of communism in a totalitarian state, said "If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” What we have today is the government that our founders warned us about, and the reason why our Constitution says what is says. The Constitution separates power into three equal branches of government.  What is so important about the Constitution  and the Bill of Rights, known as the Amendments to the Constitution, is that those who wrote it understood human nature, and its tendency to govern by dictatorship and tyranny.  They understood human nature and if power is accumulated and possessed by a few people or one monarchy this quickly results in  totalitarianism & tyranny. The founders wanted to avoid this. Freedom of speech is the bedrock of a free people, and a free nation.  We must use this freedom to speak up and speak out about the truths that this country needs to hear.  Call to action: *Attend school board meetings and make your voice be heard.  *Learn history yourself and teach your children history and the miraculous founding of our country.  * Support those in elected office who are upholding the freedoms and liberties of your state and our nation. Send them a campaign donation in their next re-relection, or support those newly running for office.  * Run for office yourself if you are a freedom lover: school board, city council, county council, public utilities district commissioner, water district commissioner, city mayor. The local elected positions hold a lot of power over your local community.  * Pray for those in elected leadership positions, and pray for your state leaders.  * Be vocal about loving this big, beautiful nation!