Class Discussion

   

    Freedom of Speech is one of the most important and cherished freedoms granted to us. Anyone can say what they want, no matter how unpopular or disliked. However, when it came to Julian Assange trying to practice his freedom of speech, he was arrested at the Ecuadorian Embassy and taken in to custody by U.K. authorities. This is important because it poses a threat to our freedom speech.

 

    Julian Assange is 47 years old and the founder WikiLeaks. On his website WikiLeaks, he posted the video called the 'Collateral Murder in Iraq.' This video depicts the killing of over a dozen people, including children, from an airstrike in New Baghdad. This video was not the first that resulted in the United States and other international governments wanting to indict Julian Assange, rather it was one of his most significant. This actions in this video were illicit and should be shared among the public. 

 

    Whistleblowers are an important part of our democracy, given they are typically how we find out what fraud and injustices are taking place within our government. Assange's battle is an example of what could happen to future whistleblowers because the U.S. and other governments went through an extensive amount of work to silence and hide Assange's findings. To keep our democracy, we must protect the freedom of speech for everyone.