The Importance Of Free Speech In The United States

In 494 B.C., the plebeians of Rome illegally withdrew from the city and refused to work in order to correct grievances they had against the Roman consuls. Striving to promote rights in the workplace, the plebeians successfully pushed through their desired reforms. Since this unprecedented resistance to laws, there have been thousands of instances of citizens resisting laws in order to promote reform. Martin Luther King Junior, who participated in one of the greatest acts of peaceful resistance, said, “I became convinced that noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good.”
Our founding fathers agreed with this view. They knew that a truly free society requires the people to be able to criticize and change policy when the government gets out of control. This is why when our founding fathers created this nation, they protected our right to free speech in the very first amendment to the United States Constitution. This is because the right to free speech and the right to criticize government are essential to a constitutional republic. The right to free speech allows citizens to do many things, from criticizing the government to printing whatever you want in newspapers or magazines. However, one specific type of free speech is often criticized. This type is peaceful resistance to laws, or civil disobedience. …show more content…
Our founding fathers were frustrated with the taxes and regulations imposed on them by the British government. The American colonists resisted these laws, and unfortunately, it ended up in a war. Nevertheless, that war created the United States of America. It was these times, however, that generated the belief in our founding fathers that resistance to laws is necessary for a democracy. Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept