Free expression and freedom of speech are not the same thing. In America, no one has a right to total free expression. If we did we wouldn’t need the concepts of libel and slander; we would have no laws against incitement to riot and hate-speech. Freedom of speech is a right to express ideas without censorship from government. But freedom of speech protects no citizen from rebuttal. In other words, freedom of speech does not protect “free expression” because free-expression does not require you to identify yourself. Free expression does not even require that you stand by and represent your ideas. That’s why free expression is almost always done unseen, in the shadows.
The KKK wore hoods to hide their faces, and they only rode out at night. So understand that pure free expression is used as a cover for the dark tunnel that immature citizens live in and prefer. Free expression, you see, allows people to hide and not have their claims challenged.
Freedom of speech is a right guaranteed by the U.S . Constitution. As with all other constitutional rights, then, freedom of speech is an American privilege and responsibility. So yes citizens, use your freedom of speech. Identify yourselves and then speak so that other citizens may hear your point, your reasoning and then make judgments about the validity of your claims. In doing so, your fellow citizens may choose to use their freedom of speech to challenge your ideas.
The mistake that Americans have been making lately is this one. Too many have been saying that since Americans have the right to free expression, there is nothing to be done. That’s why we sometimes end up with the odd situation that when someone makes ugly racial, anti-gay and lesbian, statements, people act as if there is nothing to be done. Lately, we have been acting as if we think that that free expression means that we have to shut up in the face of someone else’s ugly use of freedom of speech. No we don’t. No one has to, or should embrace the hate.
All of us have a right to freedom of speech. I am happy to report that Americans are beginning to realize that. It was freedom of speech at work in NYC on the first day that gays and lesbians could be legally married in that state. Knowing anti-gay and lesbian protestors would be there, people, some strangers to each other, some straight, showed up with colorful umbrellas. With those umbrellas open they took positions that blocked the view of the protesters from those couples who, in love, had showed up and lined up to get married. That was actual freedom of speech.
At the Respect-the-Pack students, faculty and staff used our freedom of speech to say that we value each and every student on this campus. We used our freedom of speech to say that when someone writes graffiti of group animosity that does not reflect the opinion of the whole campus.
We recognize, you see, that the hate of a group expressed in graffiti is really an attack on students of all racial and religious stripes because it shows that there is intolerance and hate on our campus. Who wants to live in a place like that? How can a person go home and proclaim their pride in being a student at a place that is hateful?
When you recognize and understand that one person’s freedom of speech does not negate other Americans’ freedom of speech that tells you that there is something to be done. We can raise our voices in opposition. Let’s not forget that when we are silent, resisting to use our freedom of speech, we allow ugly speech to rule the day.
Dr. Nacoste is Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor of Psychology. He is faculty advisor to “Wake Up! It’s Serious: A Campaign for Change.”