Does free speech cause any harm?
It is very sad that in a supposedly liberal, free, Western democracy, that it is necessary to even have to espouse the virtues of free speech. Free speech is considered a right in a free society. Article 19 the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, ratified on December 10, 1948 in the General Assembly of the United Nations and supported by Australia reads: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Unfortunately, these noble sentiments have no legal standing in Australia, but it is an important philosophical statement which was once ratified by this nation and does deserve some attention. Nobody seems to have demonstrated any actual harm to adults that censorship is meant to save people from. It is true that children need to be supervised and prevented by the parents from exposure to material that may
