Is freedom of speech truly free? Surely we have all seen it on Facebook, or any social media for that matter, where someone justifies their verbal bullying or "opinion" by saying, "This is America and I'm protected under the freedom of speech."
But are you really?
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You're not. If your victim takes their life after being verbally abused and/or cyber bullied many might call for manslaughter charges. And why not? Why are the bullies not being charged? Well, the excuse is very familiar: it would be a steep price for only a few minutes of action.
But why? Why are those who lead people to kill themselves or live a horrible life due to rape allowed to go on their merry way when the victims are hounded because of it for the rest of their lives?
The main tormentor of Phoebe Prince was only given probation until her 19th birthday (she was 18 at the time of sentencing) and 100 hours of community service. A family lost their daughter, their sister, their friend, and all this tormentor got was a slap on the wrist. Someone lost something and the reason behind it barely gets a punishment.
If anything, we are handing tormentors the key when they see that they can get rid of someone through pure torment and never have to raise a fist. It gives them an easy way out.
Just because we have "Freedom of Speech" does not mean everything you have to say should be said. It does not give you the right to say that someone should die just because you you don't like them. It doesn't mean that just because they did not put the razor blade up to their victim's wrist that they are any less responsible. If anything, they are more responsible because they took away that person's feeling that they had the freedom to choose life.
Something needs to be done and soon, before we have a mountain of corpses instead of a few.
