Freedom of speech

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

Freedom of speech is the right to freely state one's opinions and ideas. Sometimes this is also called Freedom of expression.

Most people think freedom of speech is necessary for a democratic government. In countries without free speech, people might be afraid to say what they think. Then, the government can not know what the people want. If it does not know what they want, it cannot respond to their wants. Without free speech, the government does not have to worry as much about doing what the people want. Some people say this is why some governments do not allow free speech: they do not want to be held accountable, or they fear there would be revolution if everyone knew everything that was happening in the country.

A well-known liberal thinker, John Stuart Mill thinks this is not so much because everyone should have a right to express him or herself, but because the society they live in should have a right to hear that person's ideas.

Some people think not all free speech is good for a democracy. For example, after World War II, Germany banned some Nazi ideas. Another example would be that today it no longer seems possible to talk openly about the Holocaust of the Second World war, possibly denying that it happened.