Title: Why 'Freedom of Speech' vs. 'Freedom from Consequences' Doesn't Make Sense - The Ben Smart Blog
Headings: Why ‘Freedom of Speech’ vs. ‘Freedom from Consequences’ Doesn’t Make Sense
Why ‘Freedom of Speech’ vs. ‘Freedom from Consequences’ Doesn’t Make Sense
Because it is literally impossible to have freedom of speech without freedom from consequences.
You Can Say What You Want, But…
Freedom From Consequences
Freedom From All Consequences?
Different Kinds of Consequences
Asking The Right Questions
Published by Ben Smart

Content: That’s what we call a textbook violation of freedom of speech, precisely because it imposed consequences in order to restrict and control what people can and can’t say. By definition, freedom of speech must include freedom from consequences. Freedom From All Consequences? At this point, someone might object, “But freedom of speech doesn’t protect you from all the consequences of your actions!” And yes, that’s true. Freedom of speech doesn’t protect us from the natural consequences of what we say. If you speak rudely, people won’t like you. That’s just a natural consequence, and the law won’t protect you from it! But freedom of speech is about protecting people from the kind of consequences that are imposed in order to restrict, control, or manipulate what people can and can’t talk about. It’s not talking about natural consequences, it’s talking about things like expelling people from a University because of something they said on a private Facebook account.