PRICE of Freedom?

Is “Freedom of Speech and Expression” over-rated in today’s world and context?

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Freedom of expression is the right of every individual to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

The operative word being “Hold” opinions and NOT “SHOVE it in your FACE”.

According to Wikipedia, “Freedom of speech” is the political right to communicate one's opinions and ideas using one's body and property to anyone who is willing to receive them. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.

The operative phrase being “to anyone who is willing to receive them”.

Freedom can never be enjoyed at the cost of someone else. 

The minute we do that, we're killing the other's freedom.

It’s not simple. But it’s not as complex as well.

A movie, a stand-up act, a Book or the internet provides an opportunity to choose. To Read/See OR Not to. If someone chooses to read/see it despite knowing the content, they are exercising their freedom of choice.

Can the same be true to Radio, Television, Magazines and Newspapers? I believe they do not enjoy the same level of freedom/discretion as the others do. 

Just by the basic design of their existence. These are available in far too many public facilities for open reading/viewing. Access is not restricted in anyway. Today the advertising/marketing world may dissect the target audiences but by and large, these are openly available for public consumption. 

Most of these enjoy Government subsidies too.

Here the choice works the other way round. While in the first set of examples, the choice is whether to read/see or not, here the choice is to “ignore” or not after seeing/reading it. See the difference?

Why do we not use expletives or abusive language in our daily communication?
The same simple reason needs to be applied by the publications too.

Exercising some caution keeping the above simple thing in mind can and will do a lot of good to mankind. 

Provoking with an “expectation” for others to “accept” it as “Freedom of Expression”. 

Operative word here being “Expectation”. That’s plain foolish.

Some take it personally and the saga of vengeance and vendetta continues.

Killing someone to make a point can never be justified. 

But has this not been done before for other so-called noble reasons? 

That is and an entirely different debate altogether.

One thing is clear. 

Collectively we humans pay the price ironically with our priceless LIVEs.