Even a slave possesses inalienable rights, because no man can lawfully be owned by another. Self-ownership precedes government, law, and consent; it is a fact of human existence, not a political concession. Slavery does not erase rights—it violates them. A man in chains is not rightless; he is wronged.
History is clear: when speech becomes more dangerous than crime, law has already lost its authority. From ancient Athens to enduring works of literature, civilizations reveal their decay not by what they tolerate—but by what they silence.
Due process restrains the state, not the conscience of the citizen. Free speech exists to protect the right to question, to reason, and to dissent without coercion. When a society demands belief before proof and silence instead of inquiry, it abandons the moral and legal foundations of freedom.
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