Freedom of speech was one of the basic ideas that the United States was founded upon. Prior to the foundation of the United States, people could be imprisoned or even executed for words they said or wrote. What would happen if we didn't have free speech? One main issue if free speech was lost is: the incumbent house would have too much power over the country. Imagine if Trump had the ability to enforce punishment on those who spoke out against him. He could choose what the media reports and doesn't. If the government had the power to choose what was in the media they would ultimately have the power to decide the next election. This would defeat the entire purpose of a democracy.

This does not mean that our words do not have consequences. Public figures often deal with a great amount of backlash when commenting on controversial topics. They can often lose their job over comments that they made. However while freedom of speech protects people from legal persecution for their comments, it cannot protect them from the natural consequences for their actions.

The ability to openly criticize the government without fear of persecution is one of the things that makes this country great. Free speech gives people much more power over the government than just voting. Anyone can start a political movement for a cause that they believe in. Thanks to free speech, at the end of the day, the power remains in the hands of the people, just how our founding fathers intended it.