Dr. Broom is a professor in the Psychology Department, and she is very passionate about free speech. In fact, when I asked her to sit down with me, she emailed me back describing how she feels free speech is a human right that all individuals should have and that America protects. She believes that free speech is imperative not only to society but also in the classroom. The classes that Dr. Broom teaches do not bring up much controversy, but she still encourages her students to talk to others with differing opinions because dialogue is so important. Discussion does not need to have a purpose to change minds, just to learn and understand a new perspective. Disagreement is acceptable, but there needs to be a place of mutual respect for one another. Individual experiences lead people to their mindsets on issues and topics, so it is important for others to listen and understand where those come from.
Dr. Broom and I discussed how being robbed of free speech leads to a slippery slope. People should be able to freely exchange their ideas without fear, and Dr. Broom wants there to be a spirit of kindness in sharing beliefs. We discussed how in society today, it seems that reasonable voices are not always speaking. Individuals of all political sides should be able to contribute to conversation if they want to. Free speech is very important when it comes to speaking about the government as well. The government censoring disagreement or criticism is particularly dangerous and could lead to other things like lack of privacy. There are examples of other countries monitoring journalists and anti-government websites, which shows privacy is a prerequisite for free expression. With technology continuing to be developed, it is vital that America strive to continue to protect free speech as well as privacy. Dr. Broom firmly believes in the good that free speech does and recognizes the consequences of not protecting it.
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