The First Amendment protects the unrestricted exchange of ideas against government suppression. The guarantee of freedom for speech, press and religion are among the Constitutional individual rights.
Free political discussion must be responsive to the will of the people. This liberty is protected because the founding fathers knew of no other way by which free men could conduct representative democracy. The government CANNOT interfere with communication processes by which citizens exercise self-government, that thereby shields those that expose its abuses.
The Constitution twice promises to the individual that government will not deprive him of life, liberty or property without the due process of law. It simply assures the individual that any deprivation will occur ONLY AFTER the government has adhered to certain standard approved procedures. That is the basic Constitutional assurance that the government will deal fairly with him, even when it suspects or charges him with serious crime; or even petty offence such as participating in a "make-up" match on a CLOSED PARK!
It is up to the very nature of a free society to advance this standard of what is deemed reasonable and right. The 14th Amendment "due process" represents a promise of fundamental fairness, particularly between the individual and the government.
Repression of full and free discussion is DANGEROUS in any government, or Board, resting upon the will of the people. The people will be certain to become discontented when deprived of rights when their discussion of public measures. We must be left at liberty to speak with the freedom which the magnitude of the "wrong" appears in our mind to demand; and if we exceed all proper moderation, the consultation must be that the likely EVIL to spring from the discussion will be FAR LESS, and its correction more speedy, than if the terrors were brought to bear to PREVENT the discussion.
Make free men develop their faculties; the deliberative forces should prevail over the arbitrary. The valued liberty is an end and a means. Liberty is the secret of happiness and COURAGE to the be secret of liberty.
The freedom to speak as you will and to speak what you think are indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth: WITHOUT free speech discussion would be futile, WITH it, public discussion is a political duty.
Order cannot be secured merely through fear and punishment for its infraction. It is hazardous to discourage thought, HOPE, and imagination. It is that FEAR that breeds repression; that REPRESSION breeds HATE.
The path for safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and remedies.