John Stuart Mill Case

Everyone has a right to his or her own opinion. However, when someone tries to suppress opinions, it takes freedoms away. It is not right to hinder others from having opinions as long as they are not hurting anyone else. When one tries to silence others just because they do not agree with their own beliefs, that is not right.

People seem to want to have opinions according their own judgment. However, when that is the case, the judgment is based on that in which he comes in contact, or his political party, his church, his class, his society, and sometimes even the friends with whom he or she hangs around. In other words, their judgment will not be unbiased or unconditional. Therefore, the opinion would be tainted by prejudices and preconceived ideas.

Judgment is given to people so they can use it even if it is going to be used in error. Mistakes are going to be made, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't try to have opinions. People grow from mistakes every day. Maybe they won't make the same mistakes over and over again. This is how people learn...from past mistakes. People can only hope that others are forgiving enough to allow for those mistakes to be made and know that they too will make mistakes. If people don't try to have opinions and let them lie dormant, it will not help anyone. Nobody will benefit from any of it.

In order for opinions to have complete liberty, there has to be discussion. People must discuss so they can know how each person's experience is interpreted. This is the only way others will be able to learn from one another. This is also the only way any person's judgment is really deserving of confidence. Each person through the discussion would have to keep an open mind so that the discussion would be able to continue without arguments and be open to each other's criticism. There are many varieties of opinions and people need to recognize that their own opinion is not the only one there is. Once that is understood, this world would be an easier place in which to live and people would be better able to get along.