I may not approve of what you say but I defend till death your right to say

Introduction

Imposing restrictions on free speech means a halt to the intellectual and material progress of the nations. Free competition of ideas distinguishes the successful nations from undemocratic and failed nations. The defense of free speech is the basic requirement of success in a world of varied thoughts. The free speech is as important a right as the freedom of territory; people without freedom of speech are mindless slaves like sheep on altar of sacrifice. Free speech, being the basic right of individual, ensures the inapplicability of physical tortures and humiliations on holding or not holding a certain thought. Freedom of speech provides world a systematic course of living peacefully with differing opinions. It opens the horizon of disagreeing in an agreeable way; it promotes an atmosphere of free competition of ideas where one is free to choose right from the wrong. The free speech should be defended to prevent humanity form being a victim of majority’s propaganda against minority. Agreeing with differing thoughts is not compulsory but providing the freedom of speech despite differences is essential for the survival of coexistence.


A. Why defense of free speech is the inherent right of humans?

1. The freedom of speech ensures the basic right of human equality irrespective of what ideas one holds.
2. Defense of free speech provides a chance to the ideas of minority to compete with others’.
3. It ends the perpetration of physical tortures and humiliation on holding or not holding any views.

B. Nations protect this right with the constitutional safeguards; the right is protected by the constitution of democratic states, USA, Pakistan, and China. The United Nations regards it a basic right of humanity as the right to live in peace.

C. How defenders protect free speech from external compulsions


1. Fight with religious and social pressures imposed by society
2. A strong disregard for external physical torture and humiliation for having differing views.
3. Defense against manipulation of facts and reality by dominating groups

D. The achievements free speech brought for humanity

1. An abundance of ideas, literature and art.
2. The powerful media and aware nations of the world.
3. The improved capacity of individuals and nations to make the right from the wrong
4. It broke the shackles of despotism and brought an era of accountability and transparency.
5. It provides an equal opportunity to the ideas of any social or economic class to be presented and defended.
6. A demand for accountability of the wrongs done to humanity by any nation or individual.

E. the defense of free speech demands constant vigilance

F. The course towards free speech is still thorny.


1. Differing opinions are treated by majority with humiliations and torture
2. Right to information still suffers from hiding tactics of governments.
3. Media persons suffer for opening the political and economic corruptions of powerful
4. Powerful group more successfully interpret its ideas whereas weak section does not have the resources.

G. How the free speech should be defended?

1. A Collective action of nations to end hostilities on the basis of differing opinions.
2.The State should defend the right of media of bringing corruption and social issues in the limelight.
3. Free competition of ideas can end the hostility of religious and social differences.

Conclusion