Benjamin Franklin was a statesman, diplomat, inventor, and scientist. He signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He persuaded the French to fight with us against the British in the Revolutionary War. He founded the University of Pennsylvania. Here, he explained why freedom of speech is essential to our survival as a nation:
“Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.“
“This sacred privilege is so essential to free governments, that the security of property, and the freedom of speech always go together; and in those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything else his own…“
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.“
“Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the Constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins.”