Freedom of speech is a privilege all Americans share. A person can state whatever they please, so long as it doesn’t cause a clear and present danger, without government interference. The idea that someone can legally think, be, and say whatever they want is what lead millions of immigrants to form the U.S. back in 1776 and is the same reason people fight for their right to live here today. Thanks to information being so accessible in this digital age, individuals are told that they are allowed and to study and form an educated opinion. This comes with one catch. Lately, many societal issues have become so taboo that talking about them causes too much widespread discomfort. The general consensus has become that everyone is entitled to have
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Those in the top one percent watch their salaries rise with the poverty line while the middle class struggles to keep up in the race. The key difference separating the societies in America and Asia is the element of speech. Being in a far more progressive country, everyone can state their opinion loud and clear. Celebrities and politicians use their platforms to push agendas and working class people use social media to argue with friends. Despite this capability to express oneself, like the upper class Indians, Americans shy away from any topic that may cause friction among people with conflicting opinions. This personal restraint keeps people from openly discussing national issues such as racial inequality. After all, in the op-ed “Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism”, Dr. Robin DiAngelo explains that, “It’s much easier for the human ego to argue that a problem doesn’t exist than to admit that a problem does exist and that we are a part of it.” If Americans can’t find it within themselves to respectfully discuss and find solutions for issues in their own backyard, it seems near impossible that they could use their privileges to help the poverty-stricken in Asia. Without being able to discuss the matter at hand, America's resources and wealth go to waste. By refusing to act on any problems, it is essentially saying that maintaining personal comfort is more important than acting to help those in grievous
Those in the top one percent watch their salaries rise with the poverty line while the middle class struggles to keep up in the race. The key difference separating the societies in America and Asia is the element of speech. Being in a far more progressive country, everyone can state their opinion loud and clear. Celebrities and politicians use their platforms to push agendas and working class people use social media to argue with friends. Despite this capability to express oneself, like the upper class Indians, Americans shy away from any topic that may cause friction among people with conflicting opinions. This personal restraint keeps people from openly discussing national issues such as racial inequality. After all, in the op-ed “Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism”, Dr. Robin DiAngelo explains that, “It’s much easier for the human ego to argue that a problem doesn’t exist than to admit that a problem does exist and that we are a part of it.” If Americans can’t find it within themselves to respectfully discuss and find solutions for issues in their own backyard, it seems near impossible that they could use their privileges to help the poverty-stricken in Asia. Without being able to discuss the matter at hand, America's resources and wealth go to waste. By refusing to act on any problems, it is essentially saying that maintaining personal comfort is more important than acting to help those in grievous