Freedom of Speech

Dear editor,

Freedom of speech, a basic human right recognized under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, holds that everybody has the right to voice an opinion in any medium, irrespective of the speakers' social status, political ideology, racial and religious background, without restrictions or interference.

So let's speak our minds.

With constant advances in technology, namely the Internet, the ability to impart knowledge or express an opinion can be done by just about anyone, as is the ability to gain access to a wealth of information.

One no longer needs to be a ``hacker" to gain access to government, business or personal information.

Seated at any Internet cafe, one can read stories available online in the mainstream press, create a blog under a pseudonym and then reinterpret, editorialize and forecast these findings.

The beauty of the Internet is, just like any other medium, no one is forcing me to tune in to it. It is also the choice of the recipient whether to believe all that they see and hear, or ignore it. Again the choices are there.

My old high school motto is the Latin maxim ``scientia potentia est'' which translates to: ``For also knowledge itself is power.''

It seems that many believe the Internet has become a knowledge base that needs to be curtailed, or at least, employ a code of self-regulation.

Many fear the anonymity the Internet allows, has opened the gates, turning freedom of speech into a tool for abuse.

On the other hand, where does one draw the line?

Should governments be allowed to enforce regulations giving them the right to punish people for their writings?

History paints a very dark picture of such events.

John Redmond Seoul redmond_john@hotmail.com