This letter represents the view of Skyler Villamar-Jones, deputy editor, not the Old Gold & Black.
The First Amendment is vital to every newspaper. It not only protects journalists who share their opinions but also upholds the ability of Americans to speak up against those in power. Without freedom of speech and the press, there is no check on our government.
Free speech can be dangerous. Take COVID-19: despite evidence to the contrary, the myth that the COVID-19 vaccine causes autism made many parents hesitate to give their children the vaccine. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current nominee for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, has denied the effectiveness of the vaccine — but as of today, over 1 million people in the U.S. have died from complications from COVID-19.
The polarization of our nation doesn’t help. Media echo chambers prevent readers from seeing differing perspectives. Instead, they only see things that align with their current beliefs, and become distrusting of any opposing views. The news has become a zero-sum game, where people want to make ‘the other side’ look bad, no matter the cost.
Because of this, the news is frustrating. It’s disheartening, and it’s never-ending. Yet, it’s vital to our democracy.
Yes, there are consequences for free speech. But the consequences of limited speech are worse.
As President Donald Trump enters his second term in the White House, alongside Republican majorities in Congress and the Supreme Court, it’s scary to consider his ability to challenge the separation of powers. Worse, it’s scary to imagine a world where nobody feels safe to speak against his actions. If there are limits on free speech, who would check those in power?
The truth is that Democrats and Republicans alike need the ability to criticize their government, and deserve to freely share their opinions. While they will never agree on every issue, no compromise can be made without hearing out this ‘other side’.
Freedom of speech is vital to upholding democracy. You certainly don’t have to agree with every news story you read, and you should choose relia-ble sources that you trust to provide the most fair and accurate coverage possible. It’s important to remember that free speech is the best way to ensure our government does not overstep its power and that we as citizens have the power to share our democracy.
Nenutzka Villamar • Mar 7, 2025 at 6:38 am
Cancel culture is the biggest threat to free speech. Laws limit the government’s ability to regulate speech, but laws don’t protect people from being socially ostracized, banished from their families, humiliated and attacked on social media, discounted in their professional field, or excoriated in the media. And this was a problem long before Trump’s second term.