One of the fundamental human rights I know is the freedom of speech. So obviously, this right cannot be taken away from us. This right means that I should be able to express my opinions, ideas, feelings, and thoughts anywhere I find myself without the fear of being restrained or punished by the government; sadly, the reverse is mostly the case in our society today.
The issues we have with our freedom of speech and expression are the repercussions that may follow regarding the type of society we live in today. There's a lot of intimidation; people are being discouraged and afraid to speak out, expressing our rights, and calling out the government to do the right thing.
Now, take a look at this image above. That's me sometimes in February 2023, when I was heading to the market with a friend. There, we suddenly stumbled upon these press who go around some localities collecting reviews by the masses over issues that arise in our country. Many passerbys and market sellers turned down the request to speak their minds over the happenings; the fear is there obviously because no one wants to lose their lives all in the name of speaking out. We would rather choose to suffer in silence than risk our precious lives to the government, which doesn't even care. It's our choice anyway as a way of being cautious of our lives considering what has happened in the past.
I must admit that after expressing my dissatisfaction over the happenings in our country on that faithful day, fear took over my bone marrows. I started thinking of the possible repercussions that may warrant. For over one month, I was tensed whenever I heard a bang on my gate or saw a call from a strange number, lol. Not that I insulted the government or said something rude; I only expressed myself; I spoke my mind, but yet I was so afraid of the government coming after my life.
The likes of what happened to some Nigerian youths who expressed their dissatisfaction over our government and later lost their lives during end sars. Should we say that this does count as an infringement of our rights? To me, it's a mild infringement because indirectly we are being subdued and forced to remain silent or face the repercussion.
Recently, there was an end-bad government protest where many people in my country voiced their minds over the hardships in the country. What did we get in return? An increase in hardship times 5! Yeah, it's that bad, and yet we are still talking about freedom of speech.
Wrapping up, most people choose not to speak out but suffer in silence due to the repercussions that may surface, just like it's been happening before. There are so many threats when you exercise your right to free speech, and it simply means putting my life and that of my family at risk. Personally, I wouldn't even speak much anymore; I would rather lower my voice and be more cautious instead.
However, freedom of speech can only make sense if people can speak without the fear of uncertainties.
This is my response to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic titled, "Right to Free Speech."