Freedom of speech

"Trying to erase, hide, discredit, degrade, and suppress a writer's work, merit, voice, and influence is unconstitutional. Censorship only exists to protect corruption."

-- Suzy Kassem

Use any search engine to find quotes about freedom of speech, and you will be busy for hours reading them all. The sheer number of quotations should give you some idea of how important freedom of speech is to our country. You are free to express ideas, truths, lies, and distortions. You can be insulting, offensive, and derogatory within the limits of libel and slander laws and decency.

When despots take control of a country they will usually stop entirely or severely limit what information can be broadcast or be printed. During the numerous revolutions in South and Central America in the 1960s and 1970s those who did not adhere to the new limits were shut down, arrested, tortured and often disappeared. Controlling the flow of information is a major step taken by dictators and despots. The recent verbal attacks on the news media of "fake news" should be viewed with that history in mind. Political figures who call out "fake news" whenever information about them or their policies is negative are trying to damage the free press. When the subject is false it should be challenged, but intelligent readers or listeners will doubt those challenges when every story is called "fake news."

Attacking the media or encouraging physical attacking of reporters are tactics employed by political leaders who want to destroy democracies and limit rights. My question is what can be done when news outlets continue to release what some call "Fake News"? Do we shut down offending outlets? Will we need to create government oversite boards to review news articles and broadcasts? Do we want government control of our news?

Consider the possible consequences of government control of news, and be careful what you wish for.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.