This article originally appeared on WND.com
Guest post by Bob Unruh
Many believe that the First Amendment “goes too far in the rights it guarantees.”
Free speech battles are becoming more common these days, as social media plays an increasing role in people's lives and left-wing business owners increasingly insist that only their opinions should be allowed to go public.
Even the Joe Biden administration has attempted to use public money to create what has been described as essentially similar to the “Ministry of Truth” featured in the dystopian novel “1984.”
The outcome is not good, according to a new poll, which reveals that only one in four Americans believe their right to free speech is secure, and more than two-thirds say the country's trajectory on free speech is headed in the wrong direction.
The poll was conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the Polarization Research Laboratory.
When asked about “whether people are able to express their opinions freely,” 69% of respondents said that things in America are going in the wrong direction, compared to only 31% who believe things are going in the “right direction,” according to the poll. open.
Nearly a third of respondents, 29%, said freedom of expression is not safe at all.
“The average American already believes that freedom of speech in America is in tatters. What is even more troubling is that they believe it will get worse,” said FIRE Senior Research Advisor Sean Stevens. “These findings should serve as a wake-up call for the nation to bring back Commit to a vibrant culture of free expression before it is too late.”
The poll was conducted from Jan. 12-19, and FIRE said it is the first installment of the National Discourse Index, a new quarterly survey aimed at measuring support for the First Amendment.
“Polarization not only divides Americans on politics, it fractures our assessments of the stability of fundamental features of our democracy,” said PRL Director Sean Westwood. Nearly half of Democrats believe free speech rights are moving in the right direction, compared to only 26% of Republicans. More than a third of Republicans believe the right to free speech is not secure, compared to only 17% of Democrats.
“One troubling common belief that cuts across party lines is the idea that the First Amendment ‘goes too far with respect to the rights it guarantees,’” the groups reported. About a third of Republicans and a third of Democrats “completely” or “mostly” agree with this statement. “
The survey suggested several statements that, while offensive to some, are protected by the First Amendment.
“Nearly half of respondents (52%) said their community should not allow public speech that espouses the belief they chose as most offensive. An overwhelming majority, 69%, said their local university should not allow a professor who espouses that belief to teach classes.”
Stevens said the results were not surprising, but they were disappointing.
“Here at FIRE, we have long observed that many people who say they are concerned about free speech hesitate when it comes to beliefs they personally find offensive. But the best way to protect your speech in the future is to defend the right to controversial and offensive expression today.
Copyright 2024 WND News Center
