As much as we like to pretend it is, the world is never black and white. There are way too many secrets, too many lies, too many hidden truths and a lot more unwritten laws that guide the life of a man.
There was a time when anyone couldn't just open their mouths and say whatever pleased them. If they do, they'd have their heads taken for it. Then, free speech for all was never a thing despite the grumblings. And then, due to persistent agitations, freedom of speech was passed into law.
If we want to know if our right to free speech can be taken from us or not, the starting point has to be going back to that time when every speech was censored - the time where there was no free speech. The time before the UDHR was passed into law. The time when the likes of Aristotle and Cicero walked the earth and advocated for free expression.
To explore those ancient times, the right question to ask is: Why was a full blooded human not allowed to air out his thoughts back then?
The major reason why freedom of speech was limited back then was because of political structure. In the era of authoritarian rulers who hoodwinked others with claims of their mandate being ordained by the gods, you dare not challenge what they say or criticize them openly.
Now, close to home, virtually every journalist that became too confident to speak against Abacha during his regime was taken down. The ones that weren't killed were made to live a miserable life. Some left the country to protect their sanity. This was about 30 years ago. Freedom of expression had already been passed to international laws way before then.
Has things changed from when rulers of the world can decide to kill a man on a spot for his wrong choice of words?
Undoubtedly, it has. Most rulers no longer wield that magnitude of power. Yet, some people, some very few unheard and powerful ones can still touch the world whichever way they want. We are still under the weight of imposing leaders.
Buhari banned Twitter in Nigeria for a while because he could do it. That was an affront to free speech. We can go to court all we want, but the rulers control the judges. So, considering the political structure we have now, free speech can be taken away from us whenever they want. And we won't even know it.
Another reason why free speech was not free back then was because of the fear of divine retribution. If there is one human device that has taken from humanity more than it can ever give, it is religion. For centuries, religious leaders have dictated the affairs of this world, in secrecy. They wield powers that are unrivalled. They tap into the fears and doubts of people to manipulate and control.
In some religious settings till date, females are not allowed to speak. Even in some churches, females are not allowed to mount the pulpit or step onto the altar. Yet we talk of freedom of speech as if we already have it while people till this day can't even air their frustration about their religious leader. They'd quickly remind that person about the ridiculous amount of punishment awaiting him or her for critiquing an anointed fellow.
Without going any further, no one has to stop us from saying what's on our minds. A lot of work has been done using political structure and religion to control the mind. The seed had been sown some centuries before; now, the fruits are messing with us all. Staying silent and just 'getting on with it' in the face of adversity has now become wisdom. You don't need anyone to tell you there will be repercussions if you get too jumpy.
Like they used to say, "an inquisitive monkey gets a bullet through the head." These days, no one wants to go first. Free speech was never free afterall.
