In a previous blog post I wrote a concise but complete definition of what I understand the concept of freedom of speech, the right to free speech, to be, in a short and concise format that's handy to refer to. This definition consisted of four rules. In these subsequent posts I'm going to delve deeper into each rule. This post is about rule 2, which said:
You should be able to listen to any opinions you want, by anybody you want, without impediment or restrictions, and without punishment or negative consequences. (Again, nobody has to provide you with the means of doing this, but likewise nobody should try to actively stop you from doing it by deliberately putting obstacles or impediments in your way, or trying to stop the opinions from being heard.)
Many people forget (or might even be unaware) that the concept of freedom of speech does not encompass only the fundamental right to express your opinions in a public forum, but also the fundamental right to listen to any opinion, any expression of free speech, that you want to listen to, freely and without punishment or impediment.
(Here I am using the verbs "listen" and "hear" in a more generic way, meaning any form of receiving information in one way or another.)
This aspect of free speech is usually inscribed in the Constitution of most countries. And it's a very important aspect of it. After all, suppressing the expression and dissemination of opinions by punishing those who would listen to it is no better than suppressing the person who is expressing those opinions. You cannot get around the demands imposed by the right to free speech by abusing a loophole where you don't punish the speaker but you do punish the listeners, or stop the listeners from being able to hear or understand what's being said.
I have worded rule 2 very similarly to rule 1, and thus everything I wrote about rule 1 also applies here, and thus I'm not going to repeat it here.
Unfortunately, this rule 2 is being violated in increasing amounts in several countries. For example, there are some countries in the West where students have been punished by school staff, and even the police called, for merely having listened to YouTube videos of "wrong" people expressing their opinions. (As far as I know, in the cases where the police was called nothing happened because, at least so far, listening to people's opinions online is not illegal even in those countries, as it shouldn't be. But the fact that the school called the police in the first place is very telling of the kind of mentality that's becoming more and more prevalent in the West.)
Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote, attributing the sentiment to Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I would amend that with: "and the right of anybody to listen to you who wants to." (While implied in the original sentiment, I think it's a good clarification.)
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