By: Brian Evans

Today, someone on Facebook called me a hypocrite over my concern about ziplock baggies filled with animal feed and hate speech that were thrown onto our driveway—for my children to find… and sadly they were the ones who found it. I used it as a teaching moment about hate and dangers posed in our community, much like we teach them at Halloween! While I respect this individual’s right to attack my character, and he has every right to criticize me under the law, I see it as an opportunity to speak about something I hold dear: my beliefs on free speech in America.

Free speech is one of the most important and powerful freedoms we have as Americans. It’s the bedrock of our democracy and constitutional republic—the channel through which we express beliefs, challenge ideas, and pursue truth. But like all freedoms, it comes with responsibility—and limits.

As someone who values both liberty and order, I firmly believe that while free speech is essential, it is not fully free. There are lines that must never be crossed—lines that protect children, safeguard public safety, and uphold the rights of others. The First Amendment guarantees that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” but the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in Schenck v. United States (1919) that speech presenting a “clear and present danger” is not protected. That principle is still true today: your rights end where another person’s begin.

Conservatism understands this balance. It doesn’t seek to censor—it seeks to preserve. It promotes accountability, not silence. It protects innocence, especially when it comes to sexually explicit materials targeting children or speech that incites violence. This isn’t about shutting people up—it’s about preserving moral order and the safety of our communities.

History offers a sobering warning. The Democratic Party, especially during the post-Civil War era and into the 20th century, was closely tied to the Ku Klux Klan—a group that used speech to spread hate, intimidate citizens, and justify violence. That speech went far beyond “expression”—it endangered lives and fueled terror. The KKK didn’t just target Black Americans. They persecuted Irish immigrants, the poor, and anyone they viewed as lesser. It’s a tragic example of how speech, when unchecked by law and morality, becomes a weapon that can trample the rights and freedoms of others.

Even today, we’re seeing dangerous patterns. Flyers have been distributed targeting Jews and Black Americans, attempting to stir hatred. Even if they are legally allowed to distribute such materials, putting them in ziplock bags filled with an unknown pellet substance and leaving them on driveways—like mine—for children to discover, is reckless and threatening. In today’s climate of violence and crime, that is not only inappropriate; it’s dangerous.
I support strong borders. I oppose illegal immigration. I want my children, my family, and my community to be safe. I want to keep bags of unknown substances filled with hate speech off my property and away from my kids. Is that too much to ask?

Still, I adamantly support the right to free speech. But that means I also believe we have a duty to speak up against those who use their voices to humiliate, threaten, or spread fear. Defending free speech doesn’t mean remaining silent when it’s abused. In fact, speaking up in defense of others is an act of free speech itself.

That’s why I called out our Joplin City Government Mayor, who publicly mocked and verbally attacked Joplin residents who don’t support DEI policies. I didn’t threaten him. I didn’t silence him. I simply used my own speech to call for accountability. That’s how it should work.
That’s also why I called out the JOMO Pride Co-Founder for posting hateful, intolerant remarks toward gay members of our own community who don’t support transgender ideology or men competing in women’s sports. While I may adamantly disagree with the reasoning for the petition, I respect the right of JOMO Pride’s co-founder to start a petition to remove Ryan Jackson Joplin City Council. Additionally, I heavily disagree with Burch’s simultaneous and unjustified attacks where he publicly shames members of our gay community for not conforming to his ideals of transgenderism! Ultimately, nobody—regardless of political affiliation or identity—should be bullied into silence or complacency for holding different views.
I may disagree with someone’s opinion. I may find it offensive or even blatantly wrong… But as long as it doesn’t violate the law or infringe upon the rights of others, I know it is legally protected. That is the hard truth of liberty—it protects both the noble and the ignorant.

However, we do not have to tolerate hate or attempts to publicly humiliate our neighbors and community members. We can speak out. We should speak up. That’s what makes this country great—not just our right to speak, but our ability to do so boldly, morally, and freely.
The Bible teaches this balance as well. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up.” We’re called not just to speak—but to build, uplift, protect and lead our lives as an example to others. Our Founders knew this too. In the Federalist Papers, James Madison warned that “liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty as well as the abuses of power.” If we silence opposing voices too quickly—or allow hate to go unchecked—we risk losing the very soul of what makes America free… what Makes America Great!
So yes, free speech must be protected—but not passively. We must defend it by using it. We must reject hate, stand against humiliation, and promote a culture where speech uplifts rather than tears down. We don’t need the government to silence voices—we need us, the citizens, to confront hate and evil with truth and compassion.

Therefore, in the end, I will defend free speech to my very end. But I will also never sit idly by while people spew hate, target my family, or threaten members of my community, even those members of whom have very opposing viewpoints and ideals. That is where I stand. Take it or leave it.