We live in a democracy. We have this extraordinary opportunity to

Hear the words of Hal Holbrook, the actor who gave voice to great men and spoke often of truth: “We live in a democracy. We have this extraordinary opportunity to use our mind and say what we think, speak as we think. Sometimes what we say is objectionable to other people. But that is part of a free society.” These words are not light or idle, but thunder hidden within calm speech. For he speaks of the sacred gift of liberty: the freedom to speak, to question, to disagree, and even to offend. This is the lifeblood of democracy, the power that transforms mere rule into genuine self-government.

The ancients themselves knew this truth. In the Agora of Athens, men stood before their peers and spoke their thoughts boldly, though their words often stung the ears of others. It was not harmony alone that made Athens strong, but the clash of voices, the contest of ideas. Socrates himself, who questioned all things, was condemned for “corrupting the youth” with his questions. Yet his legacy endured, proving that even when a society silences a man, his words live on, for they are born of freedom. Thus Holbrook reminds us that discomfort is the price of liberty, and disagreement is the sign of a free society.

Consider the founding of the United States. When Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense, his words were so radical, so objectionable to the established order, that loyalists called him a traitor and a madman. Yet his bold speech lit a fire that helped birth a revolution. Had Paine feared offending others, the colonies might never have broken their chains. Holbrook’s wisdom reflects this history: speech that unsettles, that provokes, that challenges—this is not the enemy of democracy, but its very heart.

History bears witness again in the struggle for civil rights. When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of justice, many called his words dangerous, divisive, even un-American. Yet it was precisely this challenge that awakened the conscience of the nation. Without the courage to speak what others found objectionable, segregation’s chains would have remained unbroken. Here again we see the truth: the measure of a free society is not in how it treats agreeable words, but in how it protects the disagreeable.

O seeker of truth, take this into your heart: freedom of speech is not given for comfort, but for strength. In every age, men and women have been tempted to silence those who speak what offends, what disturbs, what unsettles their peace. But a society that silences one voice soon learns to silence all. The true test of democracy is not in how it allows harmony, but in how it bears with dissent.

Let your spirit, then, be both bold and patient. Speak your mind with courage, even when you fear rejection. But also be strong enough to listen when others say what troubles you. For only in this exchange—the giving and receiving of hard words—can wisdom grow. To demand silence is to choose weakness; to allow speech is to choose resilience. A nation that embraces speech, even when bitter, becomes unbreakable.

In practice, defend this freedom not only in courts and laws but in daily life. Do not rush to silence those who differ from you, nor hide your own convictions out of fear. Teach your children to speak with honesty and to hear with patience. Support leaders who protect the right of dissent, even when you disagree with the dissenters. And remember always that every time you allow another to speak freely, you preserve your own freedom as well.

So I say unto you: heed the wisdom of Hal Holbrook. We live in a democracy, and with it comes the extraordinary opportunity to use our mind, to speak our truth, to endure offense, and to grow stronger by it. This is the essence of a free society—that no voice is silenced, and no mind is bound. Guard this freedom, cherish it, and wield it with honor, for it is the flame that lights the path of all who would live as free men and women.