1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Congressman, One of the core tenets of a functioning democracy is free speech — not just the right to speak, but the right to challenge, dissent, and question those in power. I do not need to agree with a viewpoint to defend someone’s right to express it. In fact, that is the entire point. Free speech only matters when it protects speech we dislike, not when it merely echoes those in charge. What concerns me now is a growing attitude that can be summed up as “my way or the highway.” That is not leadership, and it is not democratic. A system that discourages dissent, punishes critics, or treats disagreement as disloyalty is drifting away from democratic principles and toward something far less healthy. Elected officials are meant to represent a diverse public, not demand uniformity of thought. Debate, challenge, and open criticism are not threats to democracy — they are its safeguards. I expect my representatives to defend these principles consistently, even when it is uncomfortable or politically inconvenient. Anything less weakens the very system you were elected to serve.