Musings on the Great American Think-Off question. Is free speech worth the cost?

For the past thirty-one years the New York Mills Cultural Center has sponsored the “Great American Think off.” According to their web site, Think-Off History | Cultural Center | Cultivating the Arts | New York Mills, Minnesota (kulcher.org), the purpose of the Great American is shared on the web site. “The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level.” 

I think it’s marvelous that a town of about 1,300 people has a “Great American Think off.” What a terrific opportunity to think and debate about important questions in our world. 

The question of this year’s Great American Think off is “Is freedom of speech worth the cost?” Four contestants were selected to debate this question. The debate was this past Saturday night, June 8. The link to the debate can be found here: 31st Annual Great Think-Off | New York Mills Cultural Center (youtube.com). I plan on listening to the entire presentation. 

The Star Tribune shared an excellent recap of the event that they put on the front page of Tuesday’s, June 11, paper. In a small town in northwest Minnesota, America's divisiveness meets its match: Civil debate (startribune.com). 

I spent a season of my non-illustrious college career thinking about questions like this. For a while I thought of majoring in political philosophy until the pragmatic side of my brain took over. I ended up majoring in political science thinking I might go to law school. Though God had a different path for me, I’m grateful for this season of my journey. 

Even as a pastor, I have a great interest in these types of philosophical conversations. 

If I had participated in the Great American Think Off, I would have chosen the affirmative side. I think that freedom of speech is worth the cost. 

What is the cost of freedom of speech? It’s costly that ideas are expressed that are deeply harmful. Ideas that are communicated that are racist, sexist, homophobic are one cost of free speech. I don’t want to turn on my phone and listen or read any ideas that put down a class of people. I can understand people who argue that free speech is not worth this cost. 

Another cost is speech that is not the truth. Fake news. Deniers of the 2020 Presidential election have received much publicity in the past four years for their views even though the result was certified and correct. But because of free speech we have to listen to these baseless claims. 

I have had times when I’ve been told that I could not express myself. When I worked for the farm workers many years ago, we would frequently pass out flyers on the store parking lot to people who came to a grocery store. I spent eight hours a day on occasion passing out leaflets to people. We often were encouraging shoppers not to purchase grapes. Inevitably the store manager would come talk to us and try to shoo us away. On occasion the police would come to talk to us. As long as we weren’t blocking a door or harassing a shopper, it made sense to me that I had the right to be there.  Just because a store owns property. 

The recent issues of speech among college students on campuses about the Israel/Palestinian issue are another. Do they have a right to voice their opinions about this war. And how far does this right go? Do they have the right to disrupt a meeting of the administration, do they have a right to camp out on campus property? 

Despite the costs I generally lean towards supporting the right of people the right to express themselves. 

The main reason is no group or person can adequately regulate free speech. Who would regulate speech that is not free? The government? That does not seem fair. A corporation who has purchased property. It doesn’t seem fair that money can prevent others from expressing themselves. 

The first Amendment to the United States Constitution says this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

I think this Amendment is one of the greatest benefits of being an American. 

Patrick Henry is one of the greatest leaders of the American Revolution. He is known for saying, “give me liberty or give me death.” 

I completely agree. 

At the last church I served one of the senior saints was a woman named Emogene Evans. I spent much time in your home talking to her about what was happening in the church and the world. One of her pithy statements was “I disagree with you, but will fight to the death your freedom to share your view.” And Emogene and I disagreed on a lot of issues. But she always thought I had the right to speak. 

Despite the cost of sharing our views, I believe that the cost is worth the benefit. I’m so glad I live in a country where I can share my beliefs. I hope this will always be the case.