Free Speech?

Well, this week I have really been thinking about free speech and most importantly responsibility. The reason I have been thinking about this is because a member of my family seems to speak without using common sense to back up what is being said. Maybe it is because she is young, and maybe not. The reason I say maybe not because that would bring on the additional question of "Does age bring on common sense?" I think that answer would be "no". So based on that idea, where does the responsibility come from? Where does common sense actually come into play in the mind of a person? Does it show up like a birthday? Does it magically appear or does it show up once a person starts experiencing life for themselves and all of the effects that go with it. I guess it is growing up and those years that really signify it. I remember my mother always saying that "Youth was wasted on the young" and now that I am older, I am really appreciating what she meant.

So now, at the moment I am in the middle of common sense debates (otherwise known as responsibility) with an 18 year old girl (family member) who has not really lived much outside in the world, yet thinks she does. I found myself actually thinking "Man, does free speech really have to apply to everyone?" The answer of course is yes. I began thinking that maybe this class should actually be given on the High School level just to assist in the young teens starting out in the world. It isn't an actual fix but a little direction is better than no direction at all, don't you think?

Regardless we have free speech and all that goes with it, for good or for bad and what happens with that is the ever changing and developing world around us that moves when we open our mouths and let our thoughts out. Even I, writing this post am acknowledging that what I am writing, what I am saying will have an effect on people. People will either agree with me, have experienced it themselves, or not. A good dose of responsibility is definately important that people seem to miss these days.