I can’t imagine speech so unrestrained that every word that comes to mind is spoken without restriction. Haven’t there been some movies like that? Every word thought was involuntarily spoken like some sort of Tourette’s Syndrome Speech.
That would be a form of hell I suppose, speaking all the obscene thoughts no matter how degrading they might be. And that type of involuntary and repugnant speech would invariably be mean and ugly, bereft of any kind or beautiful thoughts.
If free speech does not have self limits in other words, will it end up as little more than ugly utterances and hurtful words, all aimed at devastating someone.
I think, as I often do, that something else is going on. We operate it seems with well placed bandaids when what is called for are strategically placed tourniquets. The real problem seems to be a polution of our words because they come from a polluted heart.
A snippit from Matthew confirms this, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” 15:19
I find something supernatural about this text, but even if you don’t, you have to admit it to be reasonable and common sense. I think God is making this clear, not just a human writer. But if you don’t, history itself would tell you this to be true.
So it’s a heart thing, a mind thing, an inner thing, this need to speak out loud that which is normally silent. Silent but very much alive it seems.
Like most laws in society, we try to control an outer expression of an inner problem. I’m personally glad that we don’t try to control everyones mind with laws yet, although some free speech laws so called seem to be moving into that territory.
There are two points that come to mind, maybe three. We might succeed in controlling what comes out of peoples mouths, but at what cost. I suspect it will make them more vicious inside, not less. So we need to figure out what we are trying to control. And the other thought, maybe we are going about this wrong. Even harder to control is the human heart, far more difficult than the human tongue. And yet, this is where we need the most help. George Bush said this in a speech, ““America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.” — Inauguration speech, Jan. 20, 1989.
I don’t know if he wrote that, but he said it. At the time, I’ll bet most of us thought he was foolish and out of touch with the realities of life. As I look back, I’m not so sure. Maybe he was on to something fundamental. Out of our hearts is where good and evil come from, and there is good and evil speech that comes from that same heart. I doubt we can legislate the speech or the heart into being good all the time. But I think we can spend more time appealing to the good in all of us. That is a simple take on free speech, but a much better use of my speech.
For Greece, Free speech was based on reason, proofs in most cases, something we could argue about and come to some agreement. Today, most free speech seems to be simmered in emotion and instant decisions without prolonged thought and wisdom. We are more often in a hurry to be mean than we are to be nice. This is a heart problem and needs a heart solution.