We are constantly being exposed to dangerous opinions and need to be protected from these, just as we need to protect our children from bad influences on television. This is even more important in the age of the internet when anyone can write whatever they want and upload it on a webpage. The voices of those who speak out against the establishment should also be silenced as they aim to undermine the stability of the state. Free speech should only be granted to those prepared to use it responsibly.
Free speech uses the word ‘free’ for a reason, and any limitation on it means censorship. Censorship infringes on our civil and human rights and cannot be allowed in any form in a democratic country. Many governments use censorship as a way of silencing their detractors, thus robbing the ordinary citizen of the right to be informed. Censorship begins with a few words here and there, and ends in newspapers being closed down and voices of protest imprisoned. Under no circumstances, therefore, can censorship be condoned.