Freedom of Speech Week kicked off on Oct. 17 with a soapbox set up at the Scramble Light. Organizers of the free speech event encouraged students and passers-by to stop and speak their minds.
We have freedom of speech in this country, so use it, seemed to be the theme.
I purposefully stopped by the soapbox throughout the day hoping not only to hear some great unrestrained speech but also to speak my mind. However, on all three of my stops, I stood by silently.
Given a platform for unlimited expression, I said nothing. I was at a complete loss.
This, naturally, got me thinking. What exactly is this freedom of speech we have? Could I really have said whatever I wanted? If so, how was it even possible to say nothing?
The Daily News ran a front page article highlighting the soapbox event, and the story noted that, strangely, our "freedom" of speech involves several caveats. Obscenity, fighting words, child pornography, blackmail and true threats are some of the categories of speech not protected under the First Amendment.
Interesting, it seems one cannot say whatever one wants. So, this freedom isn't quite freedom, it would seem.
Restrictions on freedom: How could that be possible? Isn't that something of a contradiction in terms? It's an almost laughable thought, to say the least, but a good one.
Freedom, like many other things in this world, requires balance. That balance is responsibility.
A person is truly free to say what he wants when he is responsible for what he says - yin and yang, balance.
The problem is that too often we are not responsible for what we say. Political pundits and the Internet are glaring examples of this.
However, it's not just about what one can and cannot say. There is another side - what one should and should not say. This was what had been eating at the back of my mind as I tried to force myself onto that soapbox.
A few years ago, I was huge on freedom of speech. I enjoyed writing and discussing my ideas whenever I could. Whether it was through message boards, blogs, letters to the editor or whatever other venue, I had a lot of ideas and a lot to say.
Then I made a mistake. I said some irresponsible things about a sensitive issue. Certainly, this was nothing new; it was a debate. Still, this circumstance taught me - the hard way - about what one should and should not say. And I had to answer for my carelessness.
Political science professor John Rouse, one of my favorite professors here at Ball State University, said that the problem with student expression is that students are rarely held accountable for their words. That doesn't just apply to students, either; it's just more noticeable with students.
But isn't that the beauty of the soapbox? You are free to say what you want, and I am free not to listen.
Isn't that the meaning of free speech? Or maybe, is that why the Daily News had to remind us about what isn't protected speech? Without accountability, there will not be responsibility, and without responsibility, we are not truly free. That's why there are caveats. If we aren't responsible, someone else will have to be responsible for us.
So why was I silent? To be honest, when I thought about it, there really wasn't anything I wanted to say.
I'm not saying speaking your mind from atop a soapbox is a bad thing, but there's a little more to freedom of speech than that.
Write to Andrew at apbalke@bsu.edu
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