About Us
Free discussion is the foundation on which free government itself is builded. That lost, all is lost—the two exist or perish together.
Diener v. v. Star Chronicle Publishing Co., 230 Mo. 613, 630 (1910).
Purpose. MO Free Speech was formed to bring together citizens of all backgrounds to gain a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the values of freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of inquiry in the State of Missouri.
What is not understood cannot be protected. Though freedom of speech is the most important and fundamental of all individual rights, it is also among the newest and least understood. And it is constantly under attack. No legal document can protect citizens’ rights by its mere existence. We therefore strive to educate ourselves and others about these critical values. Only informed citizens who value and exercise their rights can hope to keep them. And each generation must learn them, understand them, and defend them anew.
MO Free Speech pursues these goals:
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To foster an appreciation for the unfettered exchange of ideas—which requires that offensive, disagreeable, wrong, and even harmful ideas be open to debate;
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To oppose all forms of government censorship and coercion directed against speech; and resistance to and disparagement of free speech;
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To encourage and protect a culture of free speech, which extends far beyond the protections offered by constitutional provisions;
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To enrich our understanding of the manifold ways in which freedom of speech is exercised, including not only the freedom to speak and write but to listen and read; to express ourselves in symbolism, art, music, and humor; to assemble; to protest; to petition our government representatives; and to have full and speedy access to information held by the government;
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To gain an appreciation for the unique history of freedom of speech and expression in our own State of Missouri.
MO Free Speech seeks not only to defend these rights to the full limits of the current law of Missouri, but to advance them further through education, through public comment, through improved legislation, through the proper and just execution of the law, and through the courts.
Inasmuch as freedom of speech is a right of every individual, MO Free Speech does not align itself with any political party, political candidate, or religion. We defend the right to speak regardless of political or moral viewpoint.
MO Free Speech is a Missouri nonprofit corporation.
