2014330190

CLASS H 1 TUE
A2
Unrestricted Freedom of Speech is Vital for A Free and Democracy Country

Democracy is a combined word from the Greek word, Demos which means
people/citizens, and Kratos which means power. So democracy itself means
people's rule or rule by the people. So a free and democracy country usually use
liberalism as their base country's ideology. Those countries protect their human rights.
So the citizens have the authority to get freedom of expressions. Freedom of
expressions is divided by freedom of speech, writing, and other forms of
communication. Here, we are talking about freedom of speech. And what is it?
Freedom of speech is a people's political right to share or express their opinions
through speech freely without need to be afraid.
Why is access to freedom of expression important? Freedom of expression is a
fundamental human right. It also underpins most other rights and allows them to
flourish. The right to speak your mind freely on important issues in society, access
information and hold the powers that be to account, plays a vital role in the healthy
development process of any society.1
Many people in the world need their right of freedom of speech. The impact can we
see that there are still many cases of poverty, discrimination, religion and culture
pressure and so on. For example is the LGBT in Africa, the problem in Islamic
societies, and those disabled in Western Europe. They need their opinions to be
pronounced.
The right of freedom of speech has its own function that's told why it is very
important. It is very functional for any levels, for the citizens, and also for the
government itself. First, freedom of speech is vital for the government on making a
decision. Because without freedom of speech, the government will not know how the
people feel and how people think in their situation. Because somehow, a lack freedom
of speech because of the government's prohibition may cause a disintegration for the
1 Index on Cencorship. Why is Access to Freedom of Expressions Important? The Voice of Free
Expression, March 20, 2013. http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/03/why-is-access-tofreedom-of-expression-important/

citizen's creative instinct development. Its second function is that governments will be
able to respond any hoax, rumors, unfair comments, criticisms of their actions. They
can answer it and correct its mistakes. And freedom of speech has a big role in
elections, without it, elections would not exist. The sine qua non of a democratic
society is the freedom of speech.2
In Mumbai, India, a 21 year old woman was arrested because her complains
on facebook about the shutdown of the city after the death of the nativist politician.
Since then, the government of India keep monitoring things that happens in Google,
Facebook, and other online websites. And removing some contents that is seemed
denigrate the industrial there. Indians must understand that free speech the right to
think and exchange ideas freely is at the core of the democracy they cherish. If the
former is weak, the latter cannot help but be as well.3 Suketu Matha said.
Other case happened in France, about the Charlie Hebdo. This controversial
magazine had an accident where 3 gunmen killed 10 of the Charlie Hebdo's staff and
other two were police officer. This wasn't an attack to French, but that was an attack
about the Charlie Hebdo's freedom of speech. They were publishing some things that
Muslims can't accept. told Josh Ernest. Pope Fransiscus also said that freedom of
religion and freedom of speech also have their own limit.
And also like Cooray stated that, The freedom of speech is the single most
important political right of citizens, although private property is required for its
operation. Without free speech, no political action is possible and no resistance to
injustice or oppression is possible. Without free speech elections would have no
meaning at all. Policies of contestants become known to the public and become
responsive to public opinion only by virtue of free speech. Between elections the
freely expressed opinions of citizens help to restrain oppressive rule. Without this
freedom it is futile to expect political freedom or, consequently, economic freedom.
Thus freedom of speech is the sine qua non of a democratic society4

2 . Dr. M. Cooray, The Importance of Freedom of Expression. An explanation of the importance of

freedom of expression and freedom of association and how they are being eroded in Australia in
1996. http://www.ourcivilisation.com/cooray/btof/chap211.htm
3 . Suketu Metha. India's Speech Impediments. The New York Times, February 5, 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/opinion/indias-limited-freedom-of-speech.html?_r=0
4 . Dr. M. Cooray, The Importance of Freedom of Expression. An explanation of the importance of
freedom of expression and freedom of association and how they are being eroded in Australia in
1996. http://www.ourcivilisation.com/cooray/btof/chap211.htm

Freedom of speech is very important for the citizens. Because it helps the
country to be better too. It can help the government corrects their acts and their policy,
it also helps the government to listen to their citizens. Freedom of speech has a big
role in election and voting. The limitless freedom of speech may develop the citizens
to create their own critical thoughts and join in the active participating of political
issues and country interests. But then, we can filter which thing is good to say, and
which thing is not, because not all things people can accept.
Bibliography
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