Let's think about it, then talk about it!

Stella Morabito writes at The Federalist,

The usual political labels of Left and Right cannot explain the exploding attacks on freedom of speech and conscience that are running rampant today. People are either pro-thought or anti-thought.

...Human resources departments in corporations and institutions across the nation can leverage political correctness to fire any employee who might be overheard or construed to have expressed a politically incorrect opinion. The paralyzing fear of misspeaking on the job has been an issue of concern for at least 10 years now.

... The ACLU now routinely joins the efforts of special interests to force people in in artistic fields (photography, decorating, music, etc.) to apply their creative efforts to ceremonies that directly violate their religious beliefs.

Let’s try to crystallize what this all means. The push for hate speech laws has little to do with promoting tolerance while protecting speech. Compelled speech always—always—all boils down to an effort to control what people think and how.

...The First Freedom: Freedom of Thought
Freedom of thought comes before freedom of speech. We must remember that it is the source of any inalienable right. We ought to be talking about it as though it is. If we don’t recognize this reality, then we can’t protect it.

Let’s remember that all of the other First Amendment rights follow in logical order from the first freedom of religion/belief/conscience/thought. Freedom of speech is the right to express what you think and believe. Freedom of press means the right to record those expressed thoughts in writing or other media. In this vein, freedom of association would mean being able to deliver your ideas to anyone willing to listen. It means the right to peaceably assemble and have open conversation with other people.

...The only way the bubble of political correctness can pop is if all free thinkers are inclined to follow through with the First Amendment. Thinking will only remain free as long as we express our thoughts by speaking them, recording them, and cross-pollinating them through peaceful assembly. Nothing less can insure against the de-humanizing effects of thought policing.

Let’s think about that. And talk about it constantly.

Read more here.