Walter Lippmann's The Indispensable Opposition
300 Words2 Pages
In his essay, The Indispensable Opposition, Walter Lippmann, a Pulitzer Prize-winner, explains our rights to free speech. Lippmann says that “the right to speak freely and act in opposition is a noble ideal” and not a necessity. He argues that the liberty of opinion is in fact a luxury. With this fact we must be able to tolerate someone else’s opinion. Without liberty of opinion our society would not survive healthfully. We, as well, need to be certain that our opponents get the chance to share their opinions, no matter what the subject may be. As Lippmann continues he states that freedom of speech also involves speaking in/to the public. Without this ability we are in a totalitarian state. We would never be able to speak our mind again.