On February 14th, 2018, a school shooting took the lives of 17 students and staff members in Parkland, Florida. 3 weeks later, brave surviving students stood on national television to political discuss gun control with their state leaders. They organized a national March for a Lives to protest gun violence. They gathered national attention and support. Teenagers sparked an unprecedented conversation. That is freedom of speech.

A soldier befriends two children while he is deployed in Afghanistan. They giggle and use love and actions to bridge the language gap. A war-torn city steals the life from a exuberant little boy, leaving his friend and the soldier. The soldier returns to America, but always remember the downtrodden boy left behind. He shares his story with the world. That is freedom of speech.

Every September 11th, a breathless silence fills the country. We remember the courageous police and firefighters who flowed to the falling towers, searching for survivors and saving lives. We remember the ordinary citizens who turned extraordinary to regain power of their hijacked plane. We are united as we recover. That is freedom of speech.

In the weeks leading up to November 6th, an unprecedented push occurs, urging citizens to use their civil right appears. It’s impossible to enter any form of media without floods of the message “Vote!” pouring out. Celebrities join their fans in the polls, hoping for record breaking voter turnout. A readiness for change encourages citizens to use their voices. That is freedom of speech.

America is the place where people can come together. It is the place where people can speak their voices and get justice for what they believe in. America is a place for anyone and everyone. That is America. That is freedom of speech.