Is Freedom of Speech really free?
482940
Dear Dude:\nAt least I am not free to say the followings, the cause of which is inside the text...\n\nNow that we live in the age of disinformation, maybe it won't make any difference to you. The ages are getting darker and darker. And I wanted to share with you the following facts: If you agree with me please send them to as many friends of you as possible... \n\nThe transnational companies which are using American government and ARMY to sip oil from Iraq are paying back with some of the money they have earned by selling the oil they have been continuously stealing from Iraq. They will do the same in Iran and Venezuella.\n\nYou won't believe it but some transnational companies are there to force the Yahoo Corp. to delete my questions here. But I am continuously changing my name to hide it from them. Until they find me, thousands of people will have learned that America is no more controlled by its national companies. Transnational companies are a great threat both for America and the world. A transnational company is one that feels no loyalty to any nation. They don’t pay any taxes to any government and they are strong enough to overthrow governments all over the world. For the time being they are using Americans. They threat America by the fact that if they draw their capital and investments from America 25 % of its population will be jobless. \n\nThe fight and the tension between the members of the Senate is in fact a fight between the American and non-American capital owners. Right after the 9/11 the nationalistic or loyal American capital owners became a little bit stronger and passed a decree from the senate to the effect that the central government and the states are to buy their weapons from NATIONAL war industries... But at present non-American capital owners have become stronger enough to sip petroleum out of Iraq by using American ARMY. This is the horrible fact about American Politics and Bush is not loyal to America.\n\nSorry for the terrible English. Wish you prosperity and happiness. I am a mere warrior to enlighten people about facts.… Yes, they are my facts. But believe me they aren’t groundless.
563947
Nothing is really free\nis it?
941683
So, you should be free to say whatever you want, but no one should be free to criticize?\n\nFree speech is great, but taking the heat for what you say is part of the package.  Unless there's a concerted effort to have you completely silenced, this is just more of the usual whining that comes when you're held accountable for your own words.\n\nA bigger question is why you feel this compulsion to post overly-generalized, cartoonish and stereotypical characterizations as straw-man questions.\n\nAre you naturally a troll, or does this require a special effort on your part?
812673
Yep, apparently the term 'freedom of speech' seems to be a bit confusing to some. Freedom of speech is all-encompassing, so really the idiots at the top are just being hypocritical. It's very child-like and immature, don't you think?
177505
We don't have freedom of expression.  We have free speech.  We have laws to protect this right, and laws against the things you mentioned.  The only thing missing is ethics on the part of the public.  Remember the quote:\n\n‘When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.’ \n\nThat quote from Edmund Burke in ‘Thoughts on the Cause of Present Discontents’ has, in general use, come to be delivered as, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ \n\nWhich ever version you prefer, the message is the same: evil will, therefore good must.\n\nPeople too often remain silent, then wonder why "Government", as if it some outside agency, does not control their lives more.  Look to your own lives and ask, "Have I been more present and active in protecting our institutions of free speech, journalism, publishing, and other media?"\n\nThat is the only way it will change, not further legislation and government paper and ink.
155702
yes i think that censorship limits freedom of speech. censorship pretty much tells everyone that we cannot express the way we feel or what we think. if those who signed the bill of rights really didnt want to be able to express ourselves the way want they would have probably said that we had the freedom of censorship and not speech or some of the people would simply not have signed it all.
1129435
What utter nonsense. What you want is freedom to say whatever you want without consequences.  That's a very different thing.\nPeople using this kind of question to make political points against ANY administration are just silly, as some of your answers did.  They are willing to undermine our country's reputation for political "points".\nTruth is, we have free speech, and so do the people who respond to you, argue with you, disagree with you, and even insult you. If you are watching what you say, it's because you are too timid to say what you mean and stand by it.\nYou still have the freedom to do that, and that was all that was ever granted us in the first place.\nPeople also have a right to respond to your speech.\n\nYahoo! Answers and other groups that provide a forum for you to speak get to add their own rules.  Just because you use the forum does not mean you get the right to dictate what the rules of that forum are.  They have the right, as owners of the site, to determine that.  If they wanted to limit it to people who can talk only about pink dyed poodles without the participants using the letter "p", they could (not much of a market in that), and have the right to do so.\n\nSomeone loans you a soapbox, but they get to decide whether you use it, or get to take it away if you don't follow their rules.\n\nHOWEVER, you are free to start your own website, your own newsletter, your own T.V. station, your own radio station, and you get to make the rules.\n\nIF you did, would you want people coming with insults about you and your views, or spewing filth to insist that you had to spend your money so they could "speak freely"?\n\nWhat nonsense.  You have no right to ask that.
1162717
freedom of speech...because you are not truly allowed it in the workplace
537007
in answer to all your questions, go to the following links:\n\n\nGood source of info for freedom of speech:\nhttp://www.thinkcentre.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=2486 \nhttp://www.siiaonline.org/freedom_speech\nhttp://www.wwlegal.com/index.php?module=guides&func=viewpage&pageid=31\n\narticle on freedom of speech:\nhttp://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/gtrends91.htm\nhttp://www.ntu.edu.sg/IDSS/publications/Perspective/IDSS0112006.pdf\nhttp://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/analysis/view/192132/1/.html
24175
You have freedom of speech in the US, criminally you cannot be charge with a crime speaking your mind. The only thing you cannot say is Fire in a public place and that you are going to kill our presdent, those two thing are illegal to say.\n\nNow civilly, you can be brought to court for saying lies (slander) or damaging statements about people that affected them in some way. \n\nThere are very limited consquences for using your right to free speech.
889501
Short Answer:  Rights of Free Speech and Free Press
689380
No, because that's taking away free speech. It's the same as telling people they cannot write or publish books....
660186
i vote for free speech.
300036
Wow - \n\nYou must be mistaken.  I am totally shocked that a liberal, open minded, free thinking member would have anything to do with squelching your individual rights of free speech that were manifested in a forum specifically established to inquire about such matters.  \n\nParticularly because it was such a seemingly relevant question considering the happenings in the world today.\n\nI suppose I shall have to reconsider my opinion.  I wonder if I'm allowed to do that?
933835
Freedom of speech is not a problem in the USA.  It's alive and well.  Of course, we have our whackos too.  That is, some people believe so strongly in their opinions, that they leave no room in their minds for the opinions of others.  These types, tend to express their opinions as fact rather than opinion.  The next step is threatening others who have differnig opinions.  Happens everywhere; or so I thought.  I didn't think that was unique to the USA.  \n\nPeople in the USA also blast their politicians.  Happens almost every day.  You may not see the bulk of it in the news where you live (UK ?) but if you lived in the USA, you'd see and hear more than you might think was possible.  \n\nJust reading the questions and answers in this forum's Religion and Politics categories is enough to wear me out.  Too bad all the energy devoted to this can't be used to power our vehicles.  Would help my budget some.
863373
It is a sad state in this nation that to exercise your freedom of speech at a protest that you need to have a permit. That is total BS.\n\nThe first amendment of the constitution is my irrevocable permit.
831507
Your free to say certain things but if you stray off the script you'll soon find out how free  the speech is!