Impacts of the Free Press Today

There lies in society two types of people; the oppressed and the oppressors. No matter what happens, no matter the laws passed or 'equality' put in place, the world will never be perfect. However in this day and age we have the privilege of free speech. Or do we? A few centuries ago there was no doubt.  In times of low literacy rates and mindless hierarchy followings, few were able to express their true beliefs without harsh repercussions. 

From the moment Gutenberg invented the metal-using movable typing press, a new movement was born. It took less than fifty years for the press to spread about Europe, and infest in various cities, threatening the authority of royalty figures and the Catholic Church. Since the printing press now allowed for a more hidden movement, religious dissent spread like wildfire. So much so that the Church gave the smack down and cut out anything they didn't like. Religious upheaval was their worst nightmare. 

Now we have to draw the parallel between several centuries ago, and today. In American civilization, our Founding Fathers blessed upon us our First Amendment rights. We have the ability to speak our personal truth, without any harsh repercussions. However in recent years, we've seen an odd change. The Internet constitutes a new sort of printing press. It is the modern day literacy tool and communication device, allowing a spread of information either publicly or even anonymously. Seems like a blessing, right? In most cases it is. We've been fortunate in this country- and the majority of other countries, to have ALMOST unlimited free speech availability. Countries such as China and North Korea? Banned websites and the risk of jail for questioning authority. 

Back to our Almost Unlimited Free Speech. With the rise of this generations' 'printing press' comes some interesting aspects. Internet has brought along informative content (as well as entertainment) and caused almost a regression of free speech as we now know. Many may be flabbergasted by this, but it's true. There now exists a culture in our society where "hate speech" exists. And you will have repercussions for it, even by the government in some cases. In a time where we thought we were free-er than ever, it's really a giant box we're limited to. Political correctness and doxxing of any disagreements has led to an imbalanced society, fueled by the easily accessible Internet. Even the Internet has a policy of one wrong move and you're gone. Our printing press symbolism of now represents the restrictions we now face. You have to be their right, not your own ideas.