FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS THE MOST BASIC RIGHT IN A DEVELOPED WORLD

There are a lot of skeptics out there that are saying Freedom of Speech is being too simple in the Charlie Hebdo attacks.....I disagree!

Freedom of Speech is the basis of the story! There are people that say Freedom of Speech does not give you the right to insult people or say things of 'hate'! I say, who decides what is insulting or hateful? Censorship by ANY outside force is destructive and NEVER the enlightened or intelligent or real way to handle discourse that is uncomfortable.
If you think it is black and white to determine what can be said and what can't be said.....If you think that insulting and hateful are easily defined terms that 'any fool should know' by your own arrogance you have violated your own black and white rule!!!

EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING THAT THEY WANT! NO ONE HAS THE 'HIGHER RIGHT' TO TAKE THAT RIGHT AWAY FROM ANYONE!

We have seen these hashtag wars in social media about 'black lives matter', 'blue lives matter', 'je suis charlie' ..... every group wants their group to matter more, but you are missing the HUGE picture!!!
 We are all people...we all matter!

Coercion is not conversion!!! (Anyone know whom spoke that truth???)

And it is true....you cannot force a person to feel or believe or want or think something ..... and forcing them to be silent for fear of violence against them is not being civilized or responsible or multi-cultural.....that is being immature and ignorant and hateful and rude and a bully!!!!

We have become a world filled with over grown toddlers in constant temper-tantrum mode cause the whole world isn't meeting all our demands instantly!!! GROW UP!!!
If you do not like how a country exists...then do not go to that country....there are plenty of countries in the world that function from absolutely NO freedoms to having immense freedom and everything in between....you do not want freedom then move to a country that does not allow freedom. It really isn't that hard to figure out!

If you do not like what someone says then do not listen to them. If you do not like what someone writes then do not read their work. If you do not like the art that someone creates then do not purchase it. If you do not like what is being said or shown on TV then change the channel or better yet turn it off. In general, in the world you are not forced to listen to what someone says so why think you have the right to force them to speak only what you want to hear?
What makes you more valuable than the other person?
What makes your life matter more than mine?
What makes your feelings more significant than a stranger?
What makes your thoughts more right than the hater?
What makes your opinions better than the poor man's?
What makes you anything that elevates you above anyone else?

NOTHING!!!! You are not better than anyone else, so stop trying to pretend you are cause you are missing something inside that no amount of will bending in others will fulfill.

Yes, most of us are broken as humans! We see everything that someone says or does as some attack on us and we get mad and upset. We have no real faith in anything that keeps up grounded or humane. We see others only in what have they, what they are or what might they do for me; or I better get them before they get me. We have lost our sense of connection. There is nothing more lonely than feeling alone surrounded by a million people......except for when those million people are your 'friends and family'.
Why do we feel so alone? Cause we have lost the connection. We no longer value lasting relationships. We no longer value the character of an individual. When we 'judge' someone we do not ask about their honor or heart or mind.....we ask about their income, their 'schooling', their house, their car, their things.
But a million dollars does not buy kindness. A Ph.D. does not ensure understanding. A mansion isn't built with compassion. A Ferrari does not purr mercy. And things do not provide love!!

If you want less hate and more understanding...then stop forcing others to do what you want and start listening to them with understanding and compassion. If you want people to stop insulting and hating then speak with kindness and intelligence. If you want less violence and pain then show more mercy and patience.

It isn't Freedom of Speech that is broken....it is the people speaking and no law can force morals, compassion, understanding or intelligence into them. And NO ONE deserves to die for words!!!

Al Jezeera Journalists held in Egypt

The example of people that have been jailed, punished, tortured, and killed for exercising their basic right of Free Speech can go on and on....
how does this make us civilized that we are so barbaric that we are afraid of words!!!!

We must protect EVERYONE'S right to speak without fear of violence or criminal action!