Freedom Of Speech

In a society where “freedom of speech” exists, we often take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to use it. There are many others who often abuse this privilege, but I come to ask myself; “how often do I speak out about my ideas?” Reading Azar Nafisi’s article, “The Republic of Imagination,” I learned what it’s like to live in a society in which freedom of speech, let alone freedom of expression, don’t exist. Individuality is stifled. However, this oppression only exists in the outside world. In each individual, the passion of creativity is still there. There is no way that government or society can take that away from anyone.

In “The Republic of Imagination,” Nafisi writes, “…when when confronted by utter degradation, by confiscation of all that gives life its individual worth and integrity, many instinctively go to the highest achievements of mankind,” (Nafisi). This quote is inspiring, as it speaks to such a truth that appeals to a wide audience. When someone is stripped of everything that makes them unique or even alive, there is one thing that can save them from this oppression; their ideas. Through these ideas, tides can be turned. This oppression can be reversed and the ideas that individuals can have in times of oppression can become empowering. Solutions or resolutions can still come out of the most desperate situations when all we have is our imaginations.

In this sense, this freedom of expression needs to be nurtured in order for it to thrive. While we are aware we have a “freedom of speech,” there are some who do not really know what it means. It is not merely a free ticket to literally say anything you want. It is a privilege that allows us to express ourselves in not only speech, but in art and sound. Peter Hocking writes about his experience in working with New Urban Arts, a non profit agency that helps high school students who would not normally have the opportunity to embrace art, do so. He speaks of one student who says, “School is a place where youth are told that they can pass or fail, but New Urban Arts provides a space in which the most valuable learning might emerge from failure,” (Hocking). In art, where failure is taken out of the picture, students can learn through any kind of progress, even if it is “failure.” This art program is teaching students how to use the voice they have been given

That is why I believe that our efforts with MCCS are so valuable to both MCCS and Dominican students alike. As Dominican students, we are teaching MCCS students not only how to create different types of artwork, but also how to break out of the box that society has placed them in. Some of the students from MCCS have fought with failure too many times, but they might not see that there is the possibility for growth in it. By working with them, we are learning together through whatever failure we may encounter over the time we have with them.