We are living in a democracy that believes in free speech.
We are a nation of mixed religions and mixed nationalities.
We believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Everyone is considered equal. No one is above the law.
However, everyone who believes in democracy does not necessarily agree on the definition of free speech.
What does free speech mean? To some people it means anything can be said whether true or not.
Others believe in the Ten Commandments, such as number four, “Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
As a citizen, we can choose to tell the truth or not, but we can’t lie to Congress. However, congressmen can lie to us. Political speech that is based on lies can become hate speech. When this happens, Congress fails to act in the interest of our democracy. We “the people” therefore must vote for politicians that tell the truth, treat others with respect, and are willing to compromise to save our democracy.
We must vote and VOTE for DEMOCRACY.
Jo Ann Halunen
Virginia