Thank you, Minneapolis.
Now that ICE agents are largely packing up to leave the city, thank you for demonstrating the power of free speech, assembly, a free press, petition and faith. Most notably, these citizens continued to press their case publicly even after two protestors had been shot to death. That takes courage in a nation of people often deterred by fear.
A recent study from the nonpartisan Freedom Forum finds that 65 percent of Americans say they don’t always speak their minds because of their fear of consequences. At the top of the list is fear of a violent response, with more than 40 percent saying the threat of physical danger keeps them quiet.
Fear of tension with friends or family deter 37 percent (the familiar Thanksgiving conundrum), 33 percent say they’re concerned about what others might think of them and 29 percent fear being fired.
That’s a lot of fear, but many can relate. At the very least, who among us doesn’t temper our comments at social events rather than engage with someone who’s loud, angry and ill-informed? That’s called fear of wasting your time.
Of course, that mirrors what we see every day across the nation.
Americans are afraid that a hasty social media post will cost them their jobs or subject them to an online barrage of hate. They’re afraid that sharing their real views will lead to their losing their friends, or at least acquaintances. Government officials and citizens alike watch their words for fear of violent threats, which are at record levels.
Worst of all, many of our government officials seem determined to crush dissent and suppress unpopular ideas. Consider the firepower brought to peaceful protests, always disproportionate to the task at hand. Think about the full-bore assault on the free press, with reporters banished and lawsuits threatened, the attempted intimidation of television networks. Reflect on the retribution demanded by members of Congress when professors and government employees shared unflattering views of Charlie Kirk, Remember the books that once graced your local library shelves.
All of this fear is perfectly understandable – and perfectly awful. Little wonder that so many just want to keep their heads low.
That wouldn’t be very American of us, though. The American spirit has always been about saying exactly what we believe, beginning with that rude missive to the king of England on a summer day in 1776.
Somehow we’re reluctant to exercise the very freedoms that have made America the most vibrant, creative and successful on earth. The land of the free has become the home of the quietly fearful.
It doesn’t have to be. Free speech, press, religion, petition and assembly – the five freedoms of the First Amendment – have fueled America’s progress since 1791.
For my part, I don’t hesitate to share my views, but I try to do so with information rather than persuasion. To that end, I want to be as informed as I possibly can. Paying for news and information from thoughtful journalists is the best investment I can make. I also try to see controversies through the lens of the Constitution and personal ethics rather than politics. I also refuse to try to convince anyone who can’t be convinced. Let’s save us both some time.
There is a silver lining in the Freedom Forum survey. It turns out that every generation expresses itself more freely than the one that follows it. That makes sense. As we age, we gain confidence, develop job security, build savings and are more willing to say exactly what we believe. You don’t mess with “The Silent Generation,” ages 80-99.
Shaking off the fear is easier said than done, but this nation has always been best served by people who called out justice and unfairness, without being intimidated. The best of those did it with insight, understanding, compassion and courage. Free speech can make all the difference. Just ask the good people of Minneapolis.
Ken Paulson is the director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University.
The Free Speech Center newsletter offers a digest of First Amendment and news-media news every other week. Subscribe for free here: https://bit.ly/3kG9uiJ