Voices of IH: In honor of Constitution Day

Why is freedom of speech and the press important to you?

“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are important to me because it is a fundamental right. It allows citizens to be able to make progress and express themselves freely in ways that can fundamentally change society.”

— Mariana Andrade ’21

“I believe freedom of speech is wonderful. It is beneficial for today’s society. It gives society the ability to express their voices and opinions. Freedom of speech has given many individuals the right to fight for what they believe and to make a change in America like Cesar Chavez and many other important figures. The press is important because it gives people an insider point of view on a certain subject. However, one must note that the press is also restricted on what they display to the public. Without the press, we would not be informed on current events.”

— Alyssa Fuellas Ayala ’23

“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are important to me because this allows me to form my own opinions and share them with other people.”

— Bailey DeBanto ’23

“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are both important to me. It is a necessity to be able to express your opinion and speak out and spread the word about things that are happening to help combat issues and injustices that occur every day. Without freedom of speech and freedom of the press, people would not be able to verbally express themselves and it would be difficult to move forward in the world.”

— Madison Felix ’22

“Well, freedom of speech is important to me because it is important that people have different views rather than just one because change would never happen without it. Also, it’s important that we have freedom of speech in order for our government to know what we want as our representatives. The Press is important to me because they get to see things that we don’t and although the press is biased or inaccurate sometimes, it’s good to have that resource to know what’s going on.”

— Ashley Guapo ’21

“The freedom of speech and press is important to me because it allows me to voice my opinions of important topics and to help share messages and news of important events that are going on in our world. It also encourages change to happen in our world as it lets others gain a perspective of those around them and the hardships they may be going through.” 

— Jasmine Guardado ’21

“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are important to me because they give citizens an opportunity to think freely, critically and voice their opinions. Without these freedoms, I believe that our society would be conformed to standards and ideas that aren’t necessarily truthful, moral or applicable to all.”

— Samara Holloway ’22

“Freedom of speech is important to me because it gives me the right to discuss a variety of my own opinions without fearing for my life. It also allows me to denounce our government and question it. Freedom of the press grants Americans the deserved right to be informed about the government and news all around the world. It is mainly important because it gives us, the people, the knowledge we need to make our own decisions.”

— Maya Jones ’21

“To me, freedom of speech is important because it gives me the ability to express my own opinion and during this time of our lives it is important that we all use our voices to bring change to society. The press is important because it keeps citizens informed of current events and gives an opportunity for people to form new opinions.”

— Kellyn Lanza ’23

“To me freedom of speech and freedom of the press are important because I think the only way we can think of new ideas and create change is to have a difference of opinion on certain subjects. It is always important to have a difference of opinion and test your beliefs. Beliefs should always be changing because circumstances are always changing. If you censor things, then nothing will ever change.”

— Nico Kachikis ’21

“With freedom of speech, we can express our opinion and speak freely, which is essential to change society. It is essential because when we talk about rights today, they would not have been achieved without free speech. Freedom of the press is also essential because it plays a vital purpose in informing citizens, public affairs, and monitoring government actions at all levels.”

— Noemi Nagy ’21

“Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are important to me because I feel safe to express whatever I want and say whatever I want without fear of backlash. If we did not have freedom of the press, then there would be no news on what happens in the White House or in government in general. The journalists and reporters that are in charge of posting those stories or reading them on live TV would have to be careful not to talk badly about the government or they would be punished. If it wasn’t for our freedom to speak out on injustices, we would not be able to put together events like Women’s Marches or BLM protests. I believe that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are vital in a working society so that everyone gets their chance to voice an opinion even if one side does not agree”

— Sofia Shapourian ’22

“Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are important to me because it is our right to be able to speak our minds and freely express our opinions without censorship.”

— Priscilla Ward ’23 

“Voices of IH” Reporters: Kya Adams, Ashlye Arrue, Adeline Bunje, Canela Castro, Madison Felix, Meiyah Go, Quinn Lanza, Veronica Mason, Meredith Maxwell, Sophia Movsisian, Isabelle Newson, Jonna Riley, Ava Tourgeman, Mari Vitangcol

Featured image from FIRE